The Phoenix Suns began the 2025-26 NBA season with an impressive come from behind win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, that demonstrated all of the heart and hustle that has been missing in The Valley for the last couple of seasons. Devin Booker was excellent as he finished with a team high 31 points, but it was the battling display having been down 20 that caught the eye.
It was interesting to see head coach Jordan Ott - in his first ever game in that role - not go too deep into his bench, despite this being a rebuilding season. He elected not to use any of the three rookies the organization selected this summer, despite Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming have a couple of notable moments during preseason.
Lakers now stuck with Suns' old problem in Deandre Ayton.
It is great that the Suns are able to bring center Maluach along slowly, and that was made even easier by Mark Williams appearing off the bench and playing 24 minutes. With Oso Ighodaro starting at the five - and third choice Nick Richards also getting a handful of minutes - this was proof that the Suns have successfully remade their center rotation after some disastrous seasons.
SHAQ WITH A MESSAGE FOR DEANDRE AYTON 👀 pic.twitter.com/kDOfJLrNxb
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) October 22, 2025
Contrast that with the Los Angeles Lakers, who after one game are already discovering just what it is like to have former Suns' first overall pick Deandre Ayton on their team. They lost their first game of the season to the Golden State Warriors, with Ayton putting up an abject 10 and 6 in 34 minutes of action.
It's not just the underwhelming numbers that fans in Los Angeles are going to have to grow used to, but rather how Ayton plays on a night-to-night basis. When he is engaged and up for the challenge, he can be one of the most impactful big in the entire league on both ends of the court. Problem is, that side of Ayton hasn't been seen much since 2021.
It speaks volumes of the depth Phoenix suddenly has at the position, that rookie Maluach outplayed and outworked Ayton in a pair of preseason meetings between the two. The 19-year-old not able to get onto the court for a single minute in a regular season contest, such is the talent and fight of the guys who are on the court.
The Lakers may have Luka Doncic in his absolute prime and in the shape of his life, but he can't grab rebounds and protect the paint as well as doing everything else for his team. A fact Suns fans are all too aware of, having watched Ayton quit on a special group in real time. He surely realizes his chances in the NBA are getting less each year, yet it looks like the same old Ayton.