Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton gives unique defensive advantage

The Phoenix Suns have a chance to run a unique defense resembling that of the Boston Celtics, and Deandre Ayton is the reason why it could work.

Last season, the Boston Celtics had the best defensive rating of any team in the NBA. They were anchored by two strong defensive wings in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and they played Al Horford all over the floor, allowing him to impact both the interior and the perimeter.

The future Suns could wing up having a similar look. Josh Jackson and Mikal Bridges are both above average athletes and defenders on the wings, reminiscent of what the Celtics run out. But most importantly, the Suns have Deandre Ayton at the center spot.

Ayton is a lot like Horford in that he can defend anywhere on the floor. Both are solid interior defenders, but that isn’t what makes them special. Horford has the lateral agility to stick with perimeter players after rotations, and Ayton projects to have that same skill.

Horford often doesn’t play center for the Celtics, with the frequently dunked on Aron Baynes manning the middle. But Horford’s ability to play the four on defense allows for offensive mismatches. Horford can be impactful away from the basket offensively, but when he posts up it can cause real trouble for the other team, since most teams can’t match with two big men.

Deandre Ayton could end up in a similar role. He’ll definitely play more five, but his perimeter skills on both ends would allow the Suns to run lineups with two bigs, causing problems for almost any team since few teams have two strong seven footers who can coexist.

The Suns also have the pieces in place to protect the rim on a switch. Teams often counter good rim protectors with stretch fives to pull the center out of the lane. They also run screens in an attempt to get the center switched onto a wing.

Ayton can handle a switch to a wing because of his good footwork and athleticism. And when he’s pulled out, guys like Jackson and Bridges can be serviceable defenders at the basket, with the athleticism and defensive instincts to rotate properly and block shots.

With strong defensive wings and an all-around big man, the Celtics were consistently able to hide Kyrie Irving‘s lackluster defensive ability. Proper scheming from Igor Kokoskov would allow the Phoenix Suns to cover up Devin Booker as well.

As the Suns build for the future, they should look to emulate the elite Celtics defense. And if Deandre Ayton’s all around defense lives up to expectations, he could be the guy who gives the Phoenix Suns a unique advantage defensively.