Deandre Ayton was slammed by fans after the embarrassing loss to the Suns

Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton tempted the basketball gods and karma when he allegedly complained that the team is trying to turn him into a lob-threat/rim-runner version of Clint Capela. Less than 48 hours later, he paid dearly for those alleged locker room remarks. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft scored two points on 1-of-3 shooting with four rebounds and one steal. He was -24 from the field against the Phoenix Suns as LA fell 113-110 at the Mortgage Matchup Center.

Royce O’Neal deserves the spotlight after that nailing the game-winning 3-pointer with less than one second remaining, but the public focused much of their attention on Ayton. In what was the Lakers’ second straight devastating loss, he disappeared against his former team and was force-fed a giant piece of humble pie. His performance effectively tells the story, but fans also voice their opinions on it.

NBA fans are coming for Deandre Ayton from the Lakers

“Deandre Ayton said the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to get him to Clint Capela, and in his first game since making those comments, he ended up playing more like Kwame Brown,” Odds Shark’s Chris Walder published on Ksreferencing the former No. 1 pick and LA big man who has largely underperformed throughout his NBA career.”

For those wondering, Capela recorded four points, six rebounds, three assists and four blocks in just 17 minutes of action as the Houston Rockets topped the Orlando Magic on the same night as Ayton’s shot.

“In Everything I Love, Deandre Ayton would literally deliver my door if he wasn’t 7 feet tall,” @BeenHim16 announced. “The DeAndre Ayton signing is going exactly the way the haters said it would,” @jeff_on_sports commented. “I finally earned the No. 1 pick for the Suns,” @The_MilesFiles was joking. “Their best player tonight.”

Ouch. Ayton has had some good moments while wearing the purple and gold — he had 21 points and 13 boards against the Magic on Tuesday — but his first season in LA isn’t going the way fans had hoped. The 27-year-old averaged 13.2 points and 8.5 rebounds in 49 games with the Suns. The fans are tearing him apart, but he could be a real difference maker when he’s at his best.

Ayton is averaging a double-double for his career, so he should have the ability to make a consistent impact. However, Lakers and NBA fans just don’t see it that way. After this rough outing in Phoenix, the Bahamian reached a pivotal point in his tenure in Los Angeles. He can allow himself to be overwhelmed by the fights and subsequent taunts, or he can use this low point as motivation for the rest of the campaign.

Which way will they go?