I recently began analyzing the defensive tape of Mikal Bridges through the first seven games of the season, excited to see his effectiveness and perseverance against each teams best offensive player. Something went wrong. Its important to communicate., Ayton even joked that his two-year old son of the same name gave him an earful about it, but he has responded in averaging 12.3 boards in the last three games of the series. The battle on the boards is also worth keeping an eye on. Gambling Problem? Nuggets. Never made an all star team (or all nba or all defense team). Deandre Ayton NBA Stats & News - RotoWire He has Chris Paul, a career 37.5 percent three-pointer shooter, open at the left wing but instead hoists a midrange shot that misses. Whether Ayton likes it or not, the Suns need his motor to be running hotter from here on out. Reach Jeremy Cluffatjeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. 116 career games means technically he is in year 2 of development No matter which side of the Deandre Ayton Draft Debate you fall on, respect must be garnered for the efforts he has put forth on the defensive end thus far this year. This would leave Ayton completely open once he rolled to the rim. I'm just the anchor for the defense"Deandre Ayton season-high 22 at Denver after season-low 4 at Utah"Our defense is winning games. Durant, Booker and Paul each scored 17 points in the second half of Saturdays Game 4 win, but Aytons plus-13 was the highest plus/minus of any starter in the second half of Game 4. . Thats a pretty significant difference from last year in both how often hes defending these shots and his success in keeping them from going on. Ayton grades out at an A- for rim contests per 75 possessions, A- for block rate on contests, B+ on percent of rim shots contested, and an A for adjusted rim points saved per 36. Support local journalism. The Suns entered Fridays playoff games last in bench points per game at 14.4 points. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Deandre Ayton Nikola JokiKevin Durant Aaron GordonTorrey Craig Michael Porter Jr. Chris Paul Kentavious Caldwell-PopeDevin Booker Jamal Murray. They outscored the Timberwolves by 18.4 points per 100 possessions with these lineups, good for the 98th percentile. Though drop coverage is great for curtailing at-rim attempts, it concedes off-the-dribble shots from the three-point line and the midrange. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Apr 27, 2023, 8:15 AM. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Despite Suns' recent struggles, Deandre Ayton's stock keeps rising Guys will bump into each other in scripted actions due to a lack of familiarity. Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul fill out the rest of their "Big Four." Ayton averages 16 PPG and leads the team in rebounds at 11 per game in the postseason, while Paul averages 14 PPG and leads the Suns in the postseason at assists at 8 per game. He thought he could back him out of the paint, use his quickness, and accelerate past the big man. Many Phoenix Suns fans have been critical of Deandre Ayton's effort and "heart" on the court through the years. Or write about sports? He points at Finney-Smith and yells to Jae Crowder where to defend. You have to possess the ability to make quick decisions in transition. DA with another solid night to stem the Heat in the 4th. On the other hand,. Jokic a dcoup DeAndre Ayton et la dfense des Suns tout le match. Phoenix, on the other hand, has ranked just 11th in rebounding in the playoffs. The season started off with a lot of frustration, but that seems to have cooled a bit of late as the big man has gone for 20 more more points four times in the past two weeks, and collected 10 or more rebounds the same number of times. Has Deandre Ayton's defense regressed? - Bright Side Of The Sun Phoenix Suns NBA 2K23 Roster | 2K Ratings There are a lot of buttons to be pushed in order to beat a team as talented as the Phoenix Suns. In the team's win in Miami, a statement victory that helped the Suns get back on track, he contributed across the board with 17 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. But Michael Malone has the opportunity to completely swing the series in Denver's favor. We hear from him, too. Deandre Ayton Needs To Star In His Role - RealGM Like Denver with Porter Jr., Durant will be in free safety mode. Ayton was initially drafted by the Suns with the #1 overall pick as an old-school post-up big man. Lineups You get to push guys around and you get to jump over people. Averaging 14.8 points on 54.2% shooting and 11.3 rebounds in this series, Ayton has posted a double-double in the last three games of this series, all won by the Suns. It is no easy task keeping him from the basketball. They have split their 14 matchups with Ayton winning four of his seven in that 2021 postseason sweep. Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix, Arizona, Draft: We may yearn for Domin-Ayton on the offensive end, slamming the ball through the cylinder with authority and ferocity, our Twitter notifications going wild as we celebrate the offensive greatness that is DA. As a center you see plenty of these sets run right at you nightly. The 24-year-old scoffed at the notion . The 6'11" center was one of five players for the Phoenix franchise to score in double figures including a team-high 23 points from Devin Booker as they handed the Miami Heat, tied for fifth-best team in the East, with their fourth-straight loss. Denver's pick-and-roll defense will rightfully be put under the microscope against Phoenix. He went 7-for-11 from the field. Ayton on Chris Paul: 'He was the best thing that happened to my - NBA Everything runs through reigning two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, but Denver having a healthy Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. gives it beyond a fighting chance against Phoenix. Time and again Ayton has displayed the capacity to force smaller guards into shots theyd rather not take. Just turned up a notch.. Jae Crowder is cut off from defending him. You have to be physical but not too physical, finesse but not exploitable. 1 overall pick, who . Despite finishing the series against LA with averages of 28.4 points on 51.8 percent shooting and 45.8 percent from three, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists, Durant's offensive utilization felt a tad bit odd. Murray then scored 31 on the Suns in 2020-21 season. He scored 46 versus the Suns in the 2018-19 season and averaged 28.3 in four games against them in 2019-20 season. They change it up on me, so I change it up on them, Ayton said after Game 4, about working out of the short roll. All rights reserved. Deandre Ayton 7'1" big 24.7 years old Profile Positions On/Off Stats Game Logs Lineups Trends Team Efficiency and Four Factors The rest of this page is for subscribers only. The more he focuses on excelling, the better he will be. Following the Phoenix Suns' shocking postseason exit, all eyes are now on Deandre Ayton's free agency. Shoots: "He was just talking about . Its only 7 games into the new season. And everybody just trusting me to be that guy protecting the paint.. Some other big men known for great defense, like Gobert and Joel Embiid, are also appearing to have less impressive performances on that end so far this season. Maybe he loves basketball so much he cant help to just watch pic.twitter.com/71Oi4Mr3qj, Three Level Scorer (@3LevelScorer) April 30, 2023. What? He has a total of 15 Badges. Suns drop to 3rd best title odds as Warriors advance to second round. The more you watch Deandre, the more you notice him calling out plays from the rear. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. But that's the best-case scenario. The Suns are succeeding despite Ayton, not because of him The reason for those high ratings is that the Suns starting five lineup has been decimating teams. The key to Game 1, and perhaps the entire series, is whether Deandre Ayton can guard Jokic one on one. For the Suns to take down the top-seeded Nuggets in their second-round series, they'll need Ayton to narrow his role - then thrive in it. Follow him on Twitter at@DuaneRankin. Deandre Ayton averages 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Whatever they write about a guy not scoring an X amount, but the pressure that hes putting on the rim and forcing guys to guard him around the basket is creating so many opportunities for Book and Kevin, Williams said. Lets face it. Jokic is the better overall player, he stuffs the stat sheet, but Ayton has shown the ability to stay in front of him in the post and score against the reigning two-time MVP. 4/30 Suns center Deandre Ayton is confident that Phoenix will rebound after its 125-107 blowout loss to the higher-seeded Nuggets in Game 1 of their second-round matchup, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. He doesn't get many blocks, but that's because he doesn't go for blocks. Deandre Ayton. It's abundantly clear to anyone who has seen Deandre Ayton perform that he is a high-level NBA prospect. All rights reserved. The Nuggets will end the Timberwolves' season tonight, plus an NHL best Gordon will likely guard Durant similarly to how he defended Towns, utilizing his strength and stocky frame to push Durant off his spots and make him uncomfortable on his touches. See More at HoopsRumors Deandre Ayton Overview Game Logs Game-by-game stat line for the player 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 What? 5 players Indiana Pacers should consider in free agency: Is Deandre Heck, DeAndre Jordan could even be worth a look to crash the glass against Phoenix's frail rebounding. Points allowed: Suns 115.6 (9th), Nuggets 105 (5th). Ayton is averaging 17.0 points and 11.1 rebounds in 124 starts this season. The 6'11" center stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. Big offensive rebounds late in games, setting great screens with great angles. Suns vs Nuggets NBA Odds, Picks and Predictions - NBA Playoffs Game 1 Deandre Edoneille Ayton Sr. (born July 23, 1998) is a Bahamian professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). But lets look at Ayton last season. 1 seed in the West for the first time ever. Boston's Kyrie Irving was regarded as a slightly above-average defender by RPM last year, for instance. Not bad, to be clear, but it feels like there's another level for him on this iteration of the Phoenix Suns. As the third or fourth piece on a championship contender, Bridges is in line for massive pay raise. Thats about it. Murray will again be tasked with guarding a veteran point guard, graduating from Mike Conley to Chris Paul. Will Porter Jr. be used as a secondary defender against Booker and Durant in the pick-and-roll or in the post? And Durant is one of the best scorers to ever play the sport and only needs a sliver of daylight to get shots off; adding a screen to the mix only heightens his advantages as a scorer. Denver and Phoenix are looked at by most as the two favorites to make the NBA Finals from the Western Conference. I'm so tired. Try to play hard, man. Support local journalism: Subscribe toazcentral.comtoday. Game Recap: Suns eclipsed by hot Nuggets, fall 125-107. Initially he is beat by Conley as he opts to go left. The perimeter defense of the Suns knows that he is behind him to protect the chances they take. The pick and roll. To Craig's credit, he made LA pay for the strategy by shooting 55.6 percent from deep in the series. 2: Booker's defense could face healthy Murray. Its a fast paced game these days. Data Provided By More: 'Going to be fun': Deandre Ayton looking forward to matchup with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. He has continued to not only show a cerebral increase and understanding of the not-so-sexy side of the ball, he has displayed an affinity for it as well. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Aytons court vision allows for the recognition on this play. Ayton isn't the primary reason for that ascendance.. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? best record in the league since late January. How much does DeAndre Jordan weigh? Deandre Ayton Defense Stats NBA Stats | FOX Sports So I stopped looking at Mikal highlights and began analyzing Deandre Ayton. How do we answer back?" The main struggles the Suns have faced have been on the defensive side of things, as they have averaged nearly 117 PPG through this stretch. The Suns are currently 5th in offensive rating and 2nd in defensive rating, which are the markings of an elite team. Below is Phoenix Suns' 2K full team roster. On NBA 2K23, the Current Version of Deandre Ayton has an Overall 2K Rating of 84 with a 2-Way Inside-the-Arc Scorer Build. One of the best metrics we have to measure this paint defense is the NBAs advanced metrics shot tracking data, which show us the number of shots per game a player defends at a given distance from the rim, what percentage of those shots went in, and how that field goal percentage compares with the average shooting performance of those players from that distance. At best, he's Phoenix's fourth option now, a major change from being the face of the franchise when he was first drafted. The Clippers used Torrey Craig and Josh Okogie's defenders to double-team Devin Booker and Kevin Durant throughout the first round, especially at the end of games. The Suns are leaving too much food on the table by having Durant space the floor as much as he has. pic.twitter.com/x17aJC3fOI, HTB (@HenryTheBlasian) April 30, 2023, All out effort from Ayton in this play. Playing in the Denver altitude is always an issue for visiting teams. People climbing up on your shoulders like youre a ladder. Defensive . Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets dunks past the defense of Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix . The defensive side of the ball is where we might see some separation between the two teams. Their 33-point loss was the worst defeat at home in a Game 7 since the St. Louis Bombers lost by 39 in 1948. Some other defensive-oriented data on Ayton appear to corroborate at least slight underperformance relative to last season. Booker is a midrange assassin that appears to be making a passing leap this postseason. The oldest play in the book. Nope, I run on Tesla battery. Do you have a blog? Ayton is at 51.1%, a career-high and major . Read more about how our RAPTOR player ratings work, or download this data. Center of the Sun: The Rubio mentality, next-level Booker, and respect. In short, there's very little to glean from the season series. The key stats to watch here are personal fouls and turnovers. Phoenix Suns, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 2018 NBA Draft, More Deandre Ayton pages at Sports Reference. Ranking the top 30 NBA free agents in 2022 - NBC Sports Washington - RSN Yeah, me neither. Communicating to my teammates what they cant see. The 351st-ranked defense last season, North Carolina A&T, allowed 1.23 points per possession. Far away from home in Phoenix, it's that Bahamian mindset that has helped Deandre Ayton have peace with his unrewarded contract situation with the Suns. DeandreAyton He knows that if he cheats and gets beat, Deandre is behind him fortifying the defense. Start your online subscription. He has a vertical approach to his defense; he jumps straight up and allows players to attempt to occupy his space. NBA Draft: Is Deandre Ayton a better defensive prospect than his Deandre Ayton is easily having the best playoff debut run by any player in NBA history. The guard spots are fascinating. Developed WARP rating and . Aytons athleticism is vital to his ability to defend the transition. His 101 defensive rating is the best of his career, per Basketball-Reference.com.Phoenix's defense ranks third in rating . I think he just hears it from a little bit of everybody, Booker said. Follow him on Twitter at@DuaneRankin. Not to sound like the old guy in the room, but its a different game these days. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Again, a different game. Phoenix Suns' Deandre Ayton blasted for lack of effort vs. Denver Your weekly roundup of Phoenix Suns news, rumors, notes and videos from the prior week plus a preview of the week to come. The Phoenix Suns dropped from best odds to win the West to 3rd best, despite still being 2nd best to win the whole league. Click to login It includes: On/off/position stats for team and opponent shooting by location So, what can Malone do instead? . Hes averaging 37.2 points in the postseason and coming off a 47-point cooking of the Clippers in Game 5 closeout that tied a career playoff high. The Suns will need more than a Tesla motor to stop the two-time MVP. Currently, they're on the heels of a convincing 4-1 defeat over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. The Nuggets use Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as screeners regularly, and if Phoenix struggles to switch between its guards, those two will gleefully rain down three-pointers. It stresses the defense and tires their legs. He's a fantastic spot-up option, as well, but there are more ways to utilize Durant within an offense. Deandre Ayton /// Stats /// Cleaning the Glass Using Gordon and Jeff Green at center was even more effective against Minnesota. Thats Dominayton, man, said Ayton, using a hybrid off his last name and "domination. Monte Morris thought that isolating himself against the third-year center from the University of Arizona was a good idea. More than likely, the Nuggets will mix and match coverages to throw Phoenix off the scent. Defense and Rebounding. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500(VA). July 23, 2021 Western Conference semifinals (Suns won in four). Home Deandre Ayton FOLLOW PPG 18.0 RPG 10.0 APG 1.7 PIE 14.5 HEIGHT 7'0" (2.13m) WEIGHT 250lb (113kg) COUNTRY Bahamas LAST ATTENDED Arizona AGE 24 years BIRTHDATE July 23, 1998 DRAFT 2018 R1 Pick 1. Any center worth his weight in Chipotle burritos should have the ability to box out on the defensive end. Blocked. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball as Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) defends in the first quarter at Ball Arena in Denver on Dec. 25, 2022. Defense isnt sexy. No team has cleaned the glass better than Denver in the postseason, who outrebounded the Timberwolves in four of their five total games. Thats a meaningful amount. Right, Born: The year Steve Nash came to Phoenix in 2004-05 and led the league with a pace of 95.9, the league average was 90.9. NBA.com: Suns' Ayton, McGee enter 2022 as top-10 rim protectors This area of Deandres game has been the most noticeable. NBA player rankings: Top 100 NBA players as of 2023 playoffs - Page 6. Phoenix appeared a beat slow on its defensive switches throughout the series against LA. deandreayton, Position: "I really don't care about offense. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). "It gives those guys spaces like KD (Kevin Durant), Chris (Paul) and Book (Devin Booker), they do the rest. And while some fans will (and arguably should) continue to ask more domination from Dominayton, Im more interested in his defense at the moment. They improve to 29-13 for the season, good for second-best in the Western Conference. That rings twice as true for backup center, Bismack Biyombo. We present them here for purely educational purposes. But Im of the mind that effectively guarding shots close to the rim is probably the most valuable defensive contribution any NBA center can provide, even if they are capable of playing a larger role too. The results from there were pretty mixed. As a result of his understanding of the pick and roll, Deandre easily blocks his shot, Booker retrieves the rebound, and the Suns begin a transition possession. Deandres commitment to being an anchor on defense has been a primary contributing factor to the Suns success early on this year. This season, Deandre Ayton has helped propel the Suns to one of the best defenses in the league, making Phoenix management wish they'd handed him a max contract over the summer. Due to the constant uploading of spectacular slams, awesome oops, and thundering threes, fans have been conditioned to expect those highlights from their favorite players. 16.3 shots per game, 44%, 4.1% below shooter averages. That's not a ton of dress rehearsal for the revamped Suns, who now head into battle against a Denver team with years of continuity. "Teams are using smaller guys at different positions, and they're putting the ball on the ground, making our defense move and. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. And its getting ugly. Hes averaging a career playoff-high so far this year at 27.2 points a game. There are times when it almost feels like the Suns forget they have Kevin Durant on the team. Will that lead to Suns coach Monty Williams playing Durant and Booker less? Craig will have his hands full with Porter Jr.'s movement shooting, who shot 42.4 percent from three in the first round. Toutefois, Jokic a semble-t-il trouv comment grer ce match-up , en atteste son match susmentionn : 41pts, 15rbds, 15asts.