Phoenix Suns – Deandre Ayton NBA Finals Grade: B+
Ayton brought some monster energy into Game 1, often cutting to the basket with aggression and strength to finish over Milwaukee defenders. He tallied 22 points and 19 rebounds during the affair, shooting 8-10 from the field as well.
Deandre Ayton is the first player to record at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in his NBA Finals debut since Tim Duncan on June 16, 1999. pic.twitter.com/NyFg5q9jzn
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) July 7, 2021
He then followed up that performance with a modest 10-point and 11-rebound game, where Phoenix featured him slightly less, but still allowed him to remain impactful. During both games though, Ayton’s defense seemed improved by substantial measures. Collapsing inward to help out while attacking the glass aggressively, Ayton owns the paint right now over the crafty Brook Lopez.
The Bucks must know by this point how dangerous Ayton makes things when fully engaged both offensively and defensively. They still possess enough size between Lopez and Antetokounmpo to bother him, so keep an eye out for how he adjust, if the the Bucks try to bruise him up more down low. At this point though, he’s certainly had his way.