Success of Luka Dončić brings a lot of hate to Deandre Ayton

With Luka Dončić seeing massive success in the NBA thus far, it is bringing a lot of unnecessary hate to former Wildcat and No. 1 pick, Deandre Ayton.

In a world where many only see black or white, and hardly ever any gray, the early success of Luka Dončić has brought out a lot of hate by fans for former Wildcat, Deandre Ayton.

When you become the No. 1 drafted player overall in your draft class, people are going to look at you under a microscope, analyzing every single move you make. And since entering the league in 2018, that couldn’t be any further from the truth for Ayton.

Arizona Wildcats

From seeing him not win Rookie of the Year, being suspended for 25 games this year, and still not having helped his team get to the playoffs in his first two season, many of his detractors have been coming out in full force.

Now when you compare that to the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft in Dončić, and all the success he has had thus far, naturally you are going to have everyone criticize that Draft and in particular Ayton.

However, while in hindsight it may be justified to see Luka maybe should have been the No. 1 pick after all, that doesn’t suddenly mean Ayton is a bust like many are calling him.

Remember, this is a kid that didn’t start playing basketball until the age of 13-14, wasn’t afforded the opportunity to play in a professional league prior to playing in the NBA like Luka, nor does he play in a ball dominant position like Luka does.

So comparing the two players is like comparing Apples to Oranges. Their stats, their impact, etc. it’s all evaluated differently. You can’t appropriately compare a player like Kobe Bryant to Tim Duncan for instance.

While both Duncan and Bryant are some of the greatest players for their respective positions, you just can’t compare them.

Now look, that’s not to say that Ayton and Luka are the next Kobe or Duncan by any means, but the point I’m trying to make should still be clear, their impact on the game is measured differently.

In 109 games that Ayton has appeared in, he is averaging 17.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Not really bust-like numbers if you ask me.

The important thing to note too, is that he is consistently getting better, and his defensive impact and presence has improved significantly as well!

So while Ayton may not be Luka, he is not a bust and I will still defend Ayton from unnecessary criticism. I will continue to follow his career with delight and can’t wait to see how he continues to develop. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!