5 reasons the Phoenix Suns’ 2018 and 2019 opening nights are totally different

Deandre Ayton was playing game 72, not game 1

While there are still plenty of issues about Deandre Ayton‘s game that need to be resolved before he can fully realize his potential (like why the heck can he not get to the free throw line?!?),  one thing is for sure: he now has a wealth of experience to lean upon that he did not have at the start of last season.

Phoenix Suns

Ayton had wonderfully similar stats from opening night 2018 and 2019, scoring 18 points in each game, and finishing with 10 rebounds last season with 11 this season.

He only had 1 block against the Mavericks and 4 against the Kings, although also had 6 assists vs Dallas and none this year.

Regardless of how similar or different his stat lines were to each opening night, what is completely different is the number of games he has played in the NBA thus far versus then.

In 2018-19, Ayton was learning on the fly with a roster that was disjointed and loosely guided. He was dealing with professional athletes for the first time in his life and each experience was entirely new to him.

Against Sacramento though, he was playing game number 72 of his career – not game number 1.

We can expect to see a maturing professional, a player who is going to begin to assert himself more and more as the season develops. He will have multiple games throughout the year where he will be the primary scorer and will do so on his own accord because he will know  that he can.