Phoenix Suns: Bleacher Reports ranks Deandre Ayton among best centers

The Bleacher Report ranked the top 15 centers in the NBA this season and Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns came in 7th. That’s about right.

First, the Phoenix Suns were overlooked on the Bleacher Report’s top-15 point guards of the 2019-2020 season with Ricky Rubio missing the cut. Respectively, they hit big, with Devin Booker at the #5 spot on the top-15 shooting guards list and Kelly Oubre at #12 on the top-15 small forwards list. The biggest winner of them all came with Marquess Chriss came in at #2 in the top-15 Power forward…

Hah. Got you there.

But to be serious, the real winner and proudest moment for Suns’ fans was the sighting of Deandre Ayton who finished #7 on the top-15 centers list.

Bleacher Report ranked Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton as the 7th best NBA center this season.

15) Christian Wood
14) Jonas Valanciunas
13) Derrick Favors
12) Montrezl Harrell
11) Brook Lopez
10) Steven Adams
9) Serge Ibaka
8) LaMarcus Aldridge
7) Deandre Ayton
6) Nikola Vucevic
5) Bam Adebayo
4) Rudy Gobert
3) Karl-Anthony Towns
2) Joel Embiid
1) Nikola Jokic

If you have read the article, you can tell that there really isn’t a good read on DA from around the league still. I don’t blame people for not watching or paying attention to the Suns. The only voice you hear is Bill Simmons from The Ringer, and it is usually just a quick dig at Devin Booker.

Andy Bailey and Dan Favale from Bleacher Report throw in the most common remarks about Ayton:

"“Being the No. 1 pick in a 2018 draft class that included Luka Doncic and Trae Young is a tough hand to be dealt. The chances that Deandre Ayton ever tops the hype surrounding either, especially Doncic, are slim…He could use some work on defense.”"

These are comments that we have heard ever since the middle of the 2018-2019 season.

Rebounding and blocked shots have improved from last year to this year impressively, but those are not the two biggest things of notice. DA was drafted #1 overall in the 2018 draft and the biggest question was defense.

Those questions have disappeared.

His footwork and lateral movement on the defensive end is close to being elite for his size. If any ball handler wants to take DA off the dribble and try to cross him up, it will not happen. He has the strength and balance to stay in front of his man.

Again, these are things I can point out because I watch every game. If I had to write a quick blurb about Ayton as an outsider, I would have written the same thing as Andy and Dan. No hard feelings, but to continue…

At the end of Ayton’s #7 section is wrapped up by saying:

“What Ayton’s done with the start of his career is unusual. Tim Duncan, Blake Griffin, Shaquille O’Neal and [Karl-Anthony] Towns are the only players in league history to match or exceed his career averages for points (17.1) and rebounds (10.8) through an age-21 season.”

These players mentioned never lived up to the hype and were short of becoming superstars in the NBA. Yes, that’s sarcasm.

Sorry, I am not grumpy, but just antsy to watch Ayton and the Suns get back on the court. I was very happy but also really surprised Ayton made the list and at #7 but the young man deserved it. Even if I thought he may be left off the list, Ayton did just enough this year to sprinkle a little hope from the stormy clouds above, full of talent.