Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton midseason grade: B-
The 2018 number one overall pick Deandre Ayton is still feeling the weight of that selection. While Ayton isn’t playing poorly by any means, his potential is so high that it can be frustrating from the point of view of Suns fans this season.
Ayton at the moment is averaging career lows in points per game and field goals attempted, it’s the only middle of the season so he has plenty of time to turn those stats around. Fortunately, the offense is still built around Booker so he doesn’t need to be a number one scoring option. With 14.5 points per game, Ayton remains efficient scoring at a rate of 59% from the field.
With the rise of his other teammates, Ayton’s field goal attempts and points overall have decreased but still helps in other ways away from the offensive end.
On the defensive side, one improvement of Ayton’s game is his rebounds per game. His size and athleticism are key in securing rebounds for the Suns. While averaging a block per game is admirable, he ranks 27th in the league in that category.
Ayton’s quickness and agility for a big man are why some criticize his numbers. Suns fans are still waiting for the day he becomes a monster in the paint on both defense and offense. Right now it may seem out of reach for Ayton to average 20 points and 10 rebounds but with a stronger focus toward him in the paint, it’s possible.