Deandre Ayton gives strange reason for his early-season struggles

Deandre Ayton appears to be taking a page out of Ben Simmons’ book of excuses.

In a recent interview with The Oregonian, the Portland Trail Blazers big man opened up about his poor play to begin the season. In part, Ayton blamed it on sleeping on an air mattress.

“My body wasn’t just my body,” Ayton said. “People forget the humane difference of me adjusting to everything. Just being comfortable in waking up. I didn’t have a bed for quite some time. I was on an air mattress. Just trying to figure this out.”

The former No. 1 overall pick, who is in his first season as a Blazer, also said in the interview that he had family coming in and out of town as well as his son Deandre Ayton Jr., whom he had to get settled. You can read Ayton’s full interview here.

Ayton, 25, averaged an underwhelming 13-11 line through the first two months of the season on a tanking Blazers team. But he has picked it up over the last few weeks with a 25-14 line since the All-Star break.

Though an air mattress cannot be too comfortable for a seven-footer like Ayton, you would expect him to be able to figure out some proper sleeping arrangements as a guy in the middle of a $133 million contract. 

Ayton has not quite earned the benefit of the doubt either with some of the unflattering reports about his work ethic that have followed him throughout his career. 

Even with Portland this year, Ayton has faced claims that he has been tardy and thrown tantrums.