Ayton Isn’t that Bad
Suns fans are down on Deandre Ayton for good reason. The team passed on Luka Doncic (not his fault), he got suspended for a mistake he made, and he’s not as aggressive as everyone would like when he’s on the court.
But let’s not forget, this guy is barely out of his first season in which he finished as one of the most efficient big men rookies in NBA history.
He has his faults, as most young players do. He needs to shoot more at the rim, improve his defensive awareness, and move his midrange success to the 3-point line. All things that he appears capable of doing and will likely start doing the longer he is coached.
His defensive potential is immense and on the upswing since early in his rookie season. A few points to ponder in his somewhat disappointing sophomore campaign of 8 games:
- The Suns are +5.4 plus/minus per 100 possessions when Ayton is on the floor.
- His assists, blocks, and rebounding numbers are up significantly over last season’s averages (almost doubled blocks per game).
- His turnovers are down.
Let him marinate in the NBA as most big men require before dominating games. The Suns may end up with one of the more exciting, efficient bigs in the NBA.