The average height of the Portland Trail Blazers starting lineup is 6 feet 10 inches, making it the tallest in the association this season. They have a size advantage in every game, but it was even more evident in their first three games against the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans (twice) and in their last game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Blazers played a competitive first half, but the Thunder pulled away in the second half, winning 137-114. With Isaiah Hartenstein still recovering from a broken hand, Jaylin Williams sidelined with a hamstring strain and Chet Holmgren only able to play 18 minutes due to foul trouble, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was forced to rely on a loaded lineup.

Despite Holmgren's size difference and foul trouble, Deandre Ayton wasn't on the charity stripe once. The Blazers' guards and Chauncey Billups should also take some responsibility. Their face-off passes and game plan to get Ayton the ball to exploit the mismatch were also frustrating, as they often tried to beat it in from the middle rather than finding the right angle for more effective passes from the wing.

However, Ayton also shares some of the blame for his disappointing play, as his lack of free throw attempts is nothing new. He averages the most two-point field goal attempts on the team (12 per game) but only averages 0.5 free throw attempts per game. That's the second-fewest attempts per game across the team, behind only Duop Reath, who has only played in garbage time so far this season. Ayton's first season with Portland (1.4 attempts) wasn't much better.

Ayton has played well to start the 2024-25 season, averaging 14.3 points and 11 rebounds per game, but he could get closer to being a 20-point scorer if he gets to the foul line more often. It's no surprise that the best centers in the game are at the top in free throw attempts. Nikola Jokic is averaging 7.4 attempts per game this season. Joel Embiid averaged 11.7 in his 2022-23 MVP season.

As the highest-paid player on the Blazers' roster (owed nearly $70 million over the next two seasons), one can expect Ayton to develop that aspect of his game and move closer to a 20-10 type player. His midfield play is excellent, especially for a center, but all too often he settles for jumpers when he has a smaller defender alongside him. Ayton needs to stop shying away from contact and commit more to charity to reach his full offensive potential.

It's one thing for the Blazers to have a height advantage every game, but that doesn't mean much unless they exploit mismatches. Ayton playing more aggressively and attacking the basket will help significantly.