Inside Deandre Ayton's Lackluster January
While Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton has double-doubles in four consecutive games, his effectiveness on the floor has been minimal at times.
With Devin Booker and Chris Paul out, Ayton has been called upon by Suns faithful. And while the Suns' next-man-up propelled them into first place in the Western Conference, the weight would eventually fall on the former No. 1 overall pick.
Perhaps the lights have been too bright for the 24-year-old center, who, months prior, signed an offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers before Phoenix quickly matched. While we have seen flashes of greatness and potential of the talented big man, consistency has been lacking for a few seasons now.
C Deandre Ayton has been up and down for the Suns, showing both signs of promise and concern for his career.
This year, with expectations for Ayton perhaps at their peak, Ayton has not yet taken advantage of the role he has been forced into due to the surrounding injuries. Ayton has dealt with injuries himself this season, but when he has been the leader on the court, the losses have continued to pile up.
In Ayton's past five games, he has averaged 15 points with 11.8 rebounds. While the statistics on paper don’t necessarily cause for concern, the play of Ayton in January has cause for some concern.
Attached above is a highlight reel of Ayton against Minnesota where he struggled against the length and pressure of Timberwolves C Rudy Gobert. Gobert was able to force Ayton to settle for shots often times out of rhythm.
Over this five-game span, Ayton has shot merely 43% from the field. His season average so far is 58% meaning that Ayton has lacked quality shit selection in these past games. Whether it's a matter of trying to do too much offensively for the Suns or battling injury simultaneously, Ayton has not been able to carry the Suns.
Ayton's hookshot has been effective for him in his career and head coach Monty Williams likes to utilize Ayton in small-ball situations, giving the Suns a legitimate scoring threat from inside. But the opposite has been true this season so far.
Ayton has been guarded in a way that allows him enough space to settle for jumpshots instead of utilizing his physicality, something he is more comfortable with. Ayton is 40% on jumpshots this season, many between 8 and 16 feet from the basket.
Ayton will not be heading anywhere anytime soon for the Suns as it's only his 5th year in the NBA. But the up-and-down play from Ayton in his career does beg the question if Ayton can can flourish into a champion caliber center for the Suns. The steady stream of consistency that many expected Ayton to play with after such dominance college season has now turned into a trickle.
While Ayton continues to grow as a player and mature in the NBA, the Suns need him to play up to his ability to contend for championships.
