Center Deandre Ayton of the Portland Trail Blazers had a snow day on Wednesday, even if he wasn't happy about it.
Head coach Chauncey Billips informed media that the big man will not play in the Blazers' home game against the Brooklyn Nets because he could not get to the stadium.
Later, important data were revealed by Blazers in-house reporter Casey Holdahl. Holdahl said that Ayton was confined to his residence in the Portland region because of the recent ice storm. The Blazers supposedly dispatched people to assist Ayton as he attempted for hours to break through the ice sheet, but he was unsuccessful.
What makes this situation so strange is that this effort seems to have gone on for hours. Ayton, who is seven feet tall and among the world's most athletic individuals, was unable to get on the road despite having the full support of a billion-dollar NBA franchise, an entire day's worth of notice, and hours to complete tasks.
Putting the jokes aside, it's not a good idea to force this if the road conditions are actually that terrible; driving on ice is risky. And with a record of 10-29, the Blazers weren't exactly playing with a ton of injuries coming into their game against the Nets
When Robert Williams underwent knee surgery in November, he effectively ended his season as a top big man for the Blazers. Thanks to Anfernee Simons's last-second floater, the squad was able to hang in there and defeat the Nets, 105-103.
Having been traded from the Phoenix Suns—a franchise that plays in a place where such things aren't an issue—Ayton is now in his first season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
With a field goal percentage of 54.8% and an average of 13.1 points, 25-year-old Ayton has been impressive in 24 games played.