THE TAKEAWAY: Oklahoma State’s Cowboys, the newest club in the Big 12 Conference, don’t currently have the depth to compete at the top levels of the conference.
Kansas: The Jayhawks were able to stay up with McCullar in spite of his unidentified injury holding him out of the game.
Even though Deandre Ayton is no longer in Phoenix, his remarks toward obtaining a max deal while with the Suns have put him in the news.
In his Tuesday edition of Basketball Intelligence, Ayton informed veteran NBA writer Mark Medina that he had “nothing to prove.”
He said, “I’m a max player, and I’ll continue to be a max player,” in a preview statement that was made public prior to a membership barrier.
It is, of course, somewhat missing the context. Chauncey Billups, the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, is quoted in the piece as praising Ayton for maintaining his composure and professionalism in the face of criticism regarding his position or numbers on a failing team.
Regardless of the context, former NBA players Chandler Parsons and Danny Green expressed surprise that Ayton would claim he had “nothing to prove in this league.”
“No, I do not accept that. First and foremost, Parsons stated, “Everyone—maximum or minimum—is constantly attempting to prove something. “It’s so weak, so soft, and so unpleasant to even say this. LeBron James is still seeking validation for his actions.
Green concurred with Parsons that each participant had a point to make.
“You have to demonstrate that you’re a max player every single night,” stated Green. “Be mindful of your behavior both on and off the court, including your availability, how you handle the younger players in your group, and how you show up to games.”
Parsons continued, saying, “You now understand why (the Suns) traded him, why they had a problem with him, and why they shipped him to Portland because of quotes like this.”
Ayton’s stellar play in the Indiana Pacers’ 2021 NBA Finals run led to Phoenix matching their four-year, $133 million offer sheet.
Some subsequently voiced harsh criticism of such choice. When Ayton was benched in the final game to terminate the Suns’ 2022 playoff drive and then missed the season-ending defeat a year later due to a rib ailment, it came under even greater scrutiny.
