Phoenix Suns: Ayton and Landale could legitimately work together

In almost every way, new recruit Jock Landale was the story of the Phoenix Suns preseason. The Australian endeared himself to teammates and fans, not just for on-court production but also through an obvious fun-loving nature and personality.

A speculative trade acquisition has now turned into a genuine rotation piece for the Suns — quite the transition in such a short period. At just 26 and with minimal NBA experience, Landale is only just scratching the surface of what he could become.

Many regarded Jock Landale as simply a backup to Deandre Ayton, but now there’s legitimate opportunity for the two to work together in the same lineup.

Landale was viewed by many as an ancillary piece who could be utilized in certain situations; perhaps a stagnating offense needs to be boosted by a genuine stretch center and five-out system. But the 6’11” big man is transitioning away from that pigeonholed role, instead determined to impact games in a multitude of facets on both ends of the floor.

That includes playing the four rather than the five, a role he has experience with in other settings. Speaking with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Landale appeared excited about the possibility of partnering with Deandre Ayton in a twin-tower lineup.

"Me and DA talk about it a lot…I did it a bit with the Spurs and a lot with the national team. I feel comfortable spacing in the corners, kind of setting screens for guys off the wing. That’s a really enjoyable role of basketball for me to play."

We saw Landale get time at power-forward next to Bismack Biyombo in the Suns final preseason game, albeit that was somewhat down to necessity thanks to an undermanned active roster. The immediate concern is how he could hold up defensively on the perimeter, though it’s relatively rare for an opposition team to target that relentlessly in a random regular season game.

The viability of the paring should be easy to evaluate, even outside the simplicity of net rating. Landale’s energy on the offensive glass was notable during preseason, and with he and Ayton together, Phoenix should have a distinct advantage on the boards. A quick look at those numbers, and the subsequent second-chance point differential, should demonstrate its effectiveness.

The combination may have to be shelved come playoff time as teams further seek out and exploit the lack of mobility. But for the regular season, especially when the Suns are short-handed, it’s a pairing we could witness on a fairly consistent basis.