DeAndre Ayton already called out for letting LA Lakers down, ‘You cannot disappear’

Chris Haynes gives important advice to Deandre Ayton

Even before making his debut, Ayton was advised to play like Anthony Davis for the Lakers. In simple terms, it meant making his presence felt on the hardwood.

However, according to Haynes, Ayton failed to do so against the Warriors during the 119-109 defeat.

“We’ve seen this. I’m not going to say he played horribly. I believe he was [5-7] from the field; 10 points, six rebounds, and one block, but he has to make his presence felt every game.

“You cannot disappear, especially when his team is undermanned,” Haynes said on The Association.

In a game where Luka Doncic went off for 43 points and Austin Reaves added 26 points, Ayton was held to 10 points.

The biggest reason behind it was the lack of shots from Ayton as he attempted just seven shots in 34 minutes.

Chris Haynes explains his ‘undermanned’ statement about the LA Lakers

The Lakers have a terrific roster, at least on paper, but they aren’t at their full strength to start the season. Why? Well, LeBron James is sidelined because of right sciatica.

Haynes reiterated that point and believes it is the biggest reason why Ayton needs to make his presence felt.

“When I say undermanned, I mean LeBron is not there. Ayton has to help the Lakers out; he cannot float. He just didn’t establish himself and create a presence,” Haynes concluded.

At the end of the day, it was just a single game, and the Lakers have enough time to urge Ayton to be more aggressive on the court.

The sooner the better, as there’s no concrete return timeline set for when the King will be back on the court.