Deandre Ayton puts himself among the bests of the league: "I've nothing to prove, I'm a max player"

Deandre Ayton arrived to the Portland Trail Blazers as a part of a blockbuster three-team deal that landed superstar Damian Lillard in Milwaukee. While Dame has had some great moments with the Bucks, Blazers fans haven't seen much of that from Ayton. The center is aware of this, but when asked about this situation, he responded with pure confidence.

In an interview with Basketball Intelligence, he said, "I have nothing to prove in this league. I'm a max player and I'm going to stay that way."

Despite the criticism, Ayton is focused on doing the little things that contribute to Portland's success.

He emphasized his role beyond being a leading scorer, stating:

"I don’t always have to be a scorer or an offensive-minded big night in and night out. But just the work that I’ve been putting into with this league, teams overreact to everything that I do on the offensive end, whether it’s a roll to the basket, crashing the glass, setting good screens, slipping screens."

"They’re going to react with you just putting pressure on that rim. Our guys should just learn how to play point-five actions where it’s catch-and-shoot or it’s making a play for your teammate,” said former 2018 Draft first pick.

With this mindset, Ayton looks to prove his worth through versatility and the ability to influence the game in ways beyond points on the scoreboard, cementing himself as a pivotal player for the Blazers.