Because they don’t like him, this is so damn old. Bitch and complain you want to see more. You see more then it’s well he couldn’t back down Hart on that one play.
For a rookie big to come out and get 26/10 is pretty damn impressive.
But it’s whatever
There is nobody here that doesn't like Ayton. People are just divided in different groups. Some people had such high expectations that they are disappointed. other people are so desperate for anything "good" to happen that they ignore the negative stuff. Then there are people who are realistic.
Ayton is having a very good season considering he is a rookie big man. He can score inside under specific conditions (needs to be close to the basket, needs to be completely isolated, and needs to have a few seconds), he has a sweet jumper for a kid of that age and size, he runs the floor well, he is a good passer, and a good one on one defender.
He also has majot holes in his game. Most of them are normal for someone his age, and others are something he's been known for long before the NBA. He is just not good at executing quickly in a post-up situation unless he is right under the basket. The play in question was a great example. Even EJ made a comment about it as the play was developing. He said something along the lines that Ayton will need to execute quickly, as this is not something he is good at yet. He is a young kid. He still needs to think about what he wants to do when he is not close enough to the basket to just lift the ball up over a defender and put it in the basket. This does not mean that we don't like Ayton. It simply means that we are pointing out obvious flaws in his game. Again, it is normal to have those flaws at that age, but it would be intellectually dishonest to pretend that they don't exist.
This is a problem that goes beyond this message board and beyond the sports. We live in an absolutist society where being reasonable and intellectually honest gets you in trouble. You point out something obvious, and the next thing you know you are being called a hater. It is entirely possible for me and others to believe Ayton is an outstanding player for his age, far more advanced than an average 7'1 rookie would usually be, and point out that he has major flaws in his game, such as posting up in certain situations (Not right under the basket, other players in the area), fighting for the position, help defense, pick and roll defense (if he doesn't switch), conditioning, and frankly, his drive, or the lack thereof. That doesn't mean we are homers and it doesn't mean we don't like Ayton. It means we are trying our very best to be intellectually honest and objective.
