The Phoenix Suns might be down 2-0 in their playoff series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, but there might be some hope for them yet.
Jalen Williams appearing to injure his hamstring in Game 2, which one be one less player for the Suns to try and game plan for. To this point he has been a thorn in their side.
Suns making Deandre Ayton's life in Los Angeles easy right now
Although the Suns don't care how their former first overall pick is doing over there with the Lakers, the fact remains that in these playoffs they are doing him some huge favors.
Ayton hasn't endeared himself to fans in Hollywood for the same reasons the Suns wanted to get rid of him, but much like his time in The Valley it has not been all bad either.
It would be a stretch to say that Phoenix is making the Thunder's life difficult in this series, but they have definitely exposed a potential way to hurt Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company.
Rookie center Khaman Maluach has seen plenty of action across the first two games with Mark Williams unavailable, and combating the Thunder's size with some of their own has brought some joy.
Assuming Ayton plays engaged on both ends of the court, then there is real reason to believe he can have a throwback series against the Thunder if the two sides meet in the next round.
“LeBron is making it very known not to get comfortable, and JJ as well. So, don’t get too complacent. This is the playoffs.” - Deandre Ayton on the Lakers’ requisite mindset heading to HOU for Game 3 pic.twitter.com/Vrw97pb3f7
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 23, 2026
With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves yet to take the court in their Round 1 series versus the Houston Rockets, Ayton has enjoyed more of a role in the offense than usual and appears engaged as a result.
It gets better than that however, with the Thunder seemingly having already lost Williams for at least part of this series due to a likely hamstring issue.
If they can wear down the Western Conference's top seed in any way ahead of a likely meeting with the Lakers next round, it will again be good news for Ayton and company.
Williams is so important to what they do because he has the sized defensively to guard multiple positions, while also being an excellent secondary playmaker.
He might even spend time guarding Ayton while Chet Holmgren is assigned to Rui Hachimura for certain possessions. This isn't possible if he's not on the court however.
A strong playoff showing is going to result in Ayton likely getting brought back by the Lakers, or else offered decent money to sign elsewhere.
The Suns are unknowingly doing their bit to ensure that the postseason road for Ayton is that little bit easier than it should be.
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