Confident Ayton finding stride inside the bubble
Deandre Ayton may have the most to gain from playing in the NBA restart than any of the Phoenix Suns.
“Just experience and confidence,” Suns All-Star Devin Booker said before Sunday’s game against Dallas. “Every time he steps out on the floor, he’s taking it as a new opportunity to get better and learn. He’s anxious to get out there and play the next game. That says a lot about your experience and your confidence level when you’re waiting on the next game.”
Ayton is getting a chance to conclude his second season on a high note that started with a 25-game suspension after the season opener for testing positive for a diuretic.
“I’m trying to make a statement,” Ayton said. “I’m not just here all in Orlando quarantining and all for no reason. I”m here to compete to the top level.”
Ayton missed 35 total games with the other 10 coming to injuries. Ayton was
out with an ankle injury when the 2019-20 NBA season was temporarily put on hold March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.
Without this restart at Walt Disney World Resort, Ayton’s last on-court moment would’ve been him being helped to the locker room at Talking Stick Resort Arena in the second half of a loss March 3 to defending NBA champion Toronto.
He instead is back on the floor with another opportunity to compete, get better and continue to build upon a career that’s filled with expectations, promise and production.
“I can say I’ve grown up in a way to where I’m just not being a robot running the play,” said the top overall pick in the 2018 draft. “I’m the playmaker when I got the ball, for real, and just me seeing the type of dominance and the type of effect I have on both sides of the floor. Affects the whole game and the whole team has bought in.”
Ayton opened Phoenix’s “seeding” schedule with a 24-point, 12-rebound performance in Friday’s 125-112 win over Washington to start what could be a dominant stretch for him.
“The big fella, he was hard to stop,” said Wizards coach Scott Brooks about Ayton, who scored 18 points in the second half. “He’s active, he can shoot 3s. He does a great job of rolling. He knows how to pick his spots. He was a problem.”
Ayton knocking down 3s has been one of the Suns’ top storylines in the restart.
After missing his first seven career 3-point attempts, Ayton hit two in the preseason that had their bench going nuts with Kelly Oubre Jr. nearly running out the gym with excitement.
Showing that wasn’t a fluke, Ayton went 2-of-3 from distance against the Wizards.
“It’s very nice to see,” Booker said after the game. “He wouldn’t even shoot them during the first 65 (games), but we’ve seen him put in the work. He’s told us that he’s going to shoot them and he’s put in the work. So there you have it. It matches up with the results. He’s shooting it with confidence. He’s spacing the floor. That’s going to be a big part of our offense with him moving shot blockers away from the rim and knocking down big shots like that.”
As excited as Booker was for him, the usually engaging and often talkative Ayton didn’t seem too interested in discussing that with the media after Friday’s win .
“I’m a basketball player,” Ayton said. “That’s the type of stuff you have to work on to play in the NBA.”
And?
Just a month earlier, Ayton couldn’t stop talking about his 3-point shot.
“Let me tell you about that 3-ball, I’m shooting that 3-ball like it’s a middy (mid-range shot),” said Ayton. “I tell you that. That is a middy shot. Alright.”
Now he seems a bit agitated with the questions about it – and that’s a good thing for him and Phoenix.
To Ayton, this is all part of improving. He expects to get better.
Now Ayton’s bound to improve because he’s just so talented and gifted, but his development is also coming from hard work.
That combination of factors has led not only Ayton having the confidence to take the 3, but the Suns giving him the green light to launch.
“I’ve been working on this thing my whole life,” said Ayton, who turned 22 years old July 23. “I could’ve been shooting (the 3). It’s just I’m more comfortable with the system surrounding me to make me shoot the shot.”
The restart is giving Ayton a chance to validate his hard work against the NBA’s best teams. With the 2020-21 season tentatively scheduled to begin this winter, Ayton would’ve had to wait almost a year to see the results of his work if Phoenix wasn’t one of the 22 teams invited to the Orlando Bubble.
But since the Suns got in, Ayton can continue to develop his skills, stay connected with his teammates, keep building that bond and make a impact in meaningful games on both ends of the floor.
Ayton’s offensive skills are unlimited, but becoming a defensive force will put him the category of the league’s top big men like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis.
“He’s a guy that can be Defensive Player of the Year,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “I really believe that and I hope he just continues to grow in that area.”
Williams said Ayton has a better understanding of the defense, which has led to him being more vocal in making defensive calls and checks.
Without the restart, Ayton may have entered next season still a bit indecisive about what to do defensively. He can now test his knowledge in actual game action.
“It’s early, but I think he’s becoming more disciplined and keeping his hands up on defense,” Williams said. “He’s calling out stuff earlier. His conditioning is much better than it was so you’re seeing him sprinting back.”
While some were itching to play again, Ayton admittedly enjoyed his time away. So he came back refreshed and energized.
That hasn’t stopped since.