Those highlights are discussed around the proverbial water cooler, not the next day at work, but as they are happening. He can also erase the effectiveness of Malone's small-ball lineups by unleashing brute physicality against mismatches. On the other hand,. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. The Phoenix Suns have been one of the best stories of the 2020-21 season and the evolution of center Deandre Ayton has been a huge part of that. The team's most recent championship series appearance was in the 2021 NBA Finals when they were defeated by the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks. Their 33-point loss was the worst defeat at home in a Game 7 since the St. Louis Bombers lost by 39 in 1948. best record in the league since late January. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. But it is absolutely paramount to the success of a teams interior and perimeter defense. He points at Finney-Smith and yells to Jae Crowder where to defend. Time and again Ayton has displayed the capacity to force smaller guards into shots theyd rather not take. Design and development by Ryan Best, Jay Boice and Ella Koeze. A Better Way To Evaluate NBA Defense | FiveThirtyEight His passes from the short roll have been woefully inaccurate, either sailing into the crowd or landing at his teammate's feet. Deandre Ayton Proving To Be Worth Max Deal For Phoenix Suns Deandre Ayton Defense Stats NBA Stats | FOX Sports A season ago, the trio of Western Conference stars combined for a total of 61 games due to injuries. 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. Denver and Phoenix are looked at by most as the two favorites to make the NBA Finals from the Western Conference. Durant's usage rate was reflective of that. Personal fouls: Suns 21.2 (10th), Nuggets 23.0 (15th). A daily roundup of Phoenix Suns news from Bright Side of the Sun, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Monty and the Suns need to realize that Shamet aint it. Whether the Suns go deep into the luxury tax for Ayton to keep their core together long-term is one of the bigger storylines of the 2022 offseason. Deandre Ayton Reportedly Placed in COVID-19 Health - Bleacher Report Everybody was cursing me out to rebound, Ayton said. Deandre Ayton DFG% by season:2018-19: 64.9% 2019-20: 53.6% 2020-21: 51.3%Ayton is currently 13th in the NBA in DFG% (min. Even. Advantage. Positions are estimated from lineups. I believe the stat is pick and rolls defended by Mikal and Ayton yielded just .71 PPP so far this season. Booker carryover: Next to Miamis Jimmy Butler, Booker has been the best player in the playoffs so far. I just do what I got drafted for, rebounding. Your weekly roundup of Phoenix Suns news, rumors, notes and videos from the prior week plus a preview of the week to come. If so, then Williams will need more from his bench. He's averaged 20.3 points a game on 69.6% shooting, plus grabbed 13.5 rebounds a game, but it's more than the . In his ball-screen coverage, he can do a lot of different things because he moves so well, and we're trying to exploit that," Suns veteran Jae Crowder said postgame. If Murray produces like that against the Suns and Porter Jr. delivers, Nuggets may indeed have the better starting lineup. Ayton's averaging 16 points on 53 percent from the field to go with 11.8 rebounds in the postseason. What is exciting is his growth. How and when Malone alternates his defensive coverages could greatly dictate the flow of games. Suns' Deandre Ayton: 'I'm just putting my head down and working' The Suns have absolutely destroyed drop coverage in the postseason, which is a style of pick-and-roll defense in which the big man hangs back close to the rim instead of near the screen. It was 12.0 back in 04-05. "I really don't care about offense. Phoenix seems unsettled on a bench rotation other than Bismack Biyombo and Okogie, but Denver is rolling Jeff Green, rookie Christian Braun and Brown. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). More: 'Going to be fun': Deandre Ayton looking forward to matchup with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic Altitude, minutes and Suns bench: Durant and Booker averaged 44 and 43.2 minutes in the Clippers. The more you watch Deandre, the more you notice him calling out plays from the rear. However, the Nuggets dont have anyone to slow down Kevin Durant or Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton has held his own against Jokic over the years. He appeared to be tentative in early contests against the Mavericks and Kings, but by the time the Suns played the Nuggets, Deandre was using his size and physicality to move the opposition off of their spots. Do you have a sports website? NBA Draft: Is Deandre Ayton a better defensive prospect than his inNassau,Bahamas At 6'11" with a 7'5" reach, Durant is an excellent secondary shot blocker with a condor-like wingspan. Not to mention the fact that his performance came against an All-Star caliber forward/center in Bam Adebayo. More: 'Going to be fun': Deandre Ayton looking forward to matchup with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic Altitude, minutes and Suns bench: Durant and Booker averaged 44 and 43.2 minutes in the Clippers. Advantage. In this style of pick-and-roll defense, the big man just outright double-teams the ball-handler. Their 21-5 streak, after stumbling to an 8-8 start, is the best record in the league since late January. Please enter a valid email and try again. Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets dunks past the defense of Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix . Do you blame him? Statistical model by Nate Silver. In other words, they'll need Ayton to play like a . Murray will again be tasked with guarding a veteran point guard, graduating from Mike Conley to Chris Paul. Deandre Ayton's role has fluctuated a ton in Phoenix. The Suns' transition attack has been downright spooky, ranked first out of all sixteen playoff teams. The Suns are leaving too much food on the table by having Durant space the floor as much as he has. You have to be physical but not too physical, finesse but not exploitable. Yet it wasnt the Wardens play that caught my eye. Do you have a blog? Our ratings, updated daily, use play-by-play and player-tracking data to calculate each player's individual plus-minus measurements and wins above replacement, which accounts for playing time. And everybody just trusting me to be that guy protecting the paint.. But Malone's job goes beyond just dictating defensive coverages. Ayton is averaging 17.0 points and 11.1 rebounds in 124 starts this season. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Having the ability to navigate it successfully from a defensive standpoint is challenging. It's an odd. Enter Chris Paul. Or write about sports? As a center you see plenty of these sets run right at you nightly. . His 76 wingspan is a hinderance to any ball-handler who makes their way towards the basket. The Suns are still among the best defensive teams in the NBA, but statistics seem to show that Ayton hasnt been the force he was last season. 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. To have a center who loves to play defense and is excited to learn how to better that skillset isnt something youll find on many Twitter highlights or postgame shows. It's abundantly clear to anyone who has seen Deandre Ayton perform that he is a high-level NBA prospect. Nuggets wing Bruce Brown is probably the best bench player of both teams. We hear everybody out on this team. Plus, Ayton hasn't consistently punished mismatches after switches. Try to play hard, man. The results from there were pretty mixed. 2022-2023 Game Log Like Denver with Porter Jr., Durant will be in free safety mode. But two of those matchups occurred before Phoenix acquired Durant. Clippers big Ivica Zubac had 11 rebounds in the first half, 15 for the game. 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. It is no easy task keeping him from the basketball. The key to Game 1, and perhaps the entire series, is whether Deandre Ayton can guard Jokic one on one. Pitching to as close to a perfect game as possible in the short roll could force Denver away from blitzing Booker and Durant at every turn. As a team, the Nuggets are shooting the fourth-best three-point percentage in the postseason. The national motto for the Bahamas is "Forward Upward Onward Together," which is defined as moving in "the direction and manner in which the Bahamian nation should move.". 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. All #1 picks who have 0x all star: Deandre Ayton, Markelle Fultz, Anthony Bennett, Greg Oden, Andrea Bargnani, Kwame Brown, Michael Olowokandi, Joe Smith (until 1990 , btw didnt include Ant and Cade for obvious reasons) Preview Playoffs 2023 - Denver Nuggets (1) vs Phoenix Suns (4) More: Phoenix Suns fans slam Monty Williams for playing Landry Shamet in loss to Denver Nuggets, The Suns dont have much of a chance this series against Denver if Deandre Ayton has moments like this.Simply inexcusable to watch your teammates fight for a loose ball while standing on the baseline. The NBA is a highlight driven league. Deandre Ayton Says He Anchors the Phoenix Suns on Both - Yardbarker The Suns have looked just as comfortable finding the open man against zone defenses in the postseason. The Suns are currently 5th in offensive rating and 2nd in defensive rating, which are the markings of an elite team. Im not saying etch the Defensive Player of the Year award with Deandres name on it. . Here's why Kevin Durant, Devin Booker will lead Phoenix Suns past A daily roundup of Phoenix Suns news from Bright Side of the Sun, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Monty and the Suns need to realize that Shamet aint it. Phoenix Suns NBA 2K23 Roster | 2K Ratings Deandre Ayton vows Phoenix Suns will be 'completely different' in Game He has grown into his body from a mental standpoint. They improve to 29-13 for the season, good for second-best in the Western Conference. "In an ideal world, I actually want even more," Suns head coach Monty Williams said postgame on Ayton. He'll take fadeaway jumpers against smaller defenders that he can simply overwhelm. Defense isnt as easy to quantify as offense, unfortunately. Willie stays high on this play, creating an iso-situation between Ayton and Luka. Suns-Nuggets preview, Pt. His block percentage is up slightly from last season to 2.5% from 2.1%, his steal percentage is down slightly to 0.8% from 1.1%. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. The Portland Trail Blazers aren't serious contenders for Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton but may be eyeing Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort in a draft-pick trade. Here is a breakdown of the series and prediction: The Nuggets are the No. Remember that highlight on ESPN that night? Offensively, thats just not who he is. The 351st-ranked defense last season, North Carolina A&T, allowed 1.23 points per possession. Ideally. He has a vertical approach to his defense; he jumps straight up and allows players to attempt to occupy his space. Ayton can also play with way too much finesse as a finisher. 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. Its not all glitz and glamour, defensive dominance and swatted leather. Support local journalism: Subscribe toazcentral.comtoday. When was DeAndre Jordan born? Its a collective group, but both ways, though, too. How much does DeAndre Jordan weigh? Any center worth his weight in Chipotle burritos should have the ability to box out on the defensive end. 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. "Teams are using smaller guys at different positions, and they're putting the ball on the ground, making our defense move and. He didnt dunk it! Chris Paul and Kevin Durant preparing in Denver, 'Going to be fun': Deandre Ayton looking forward to matchup with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Suns-Nuggets: Nikola Jokic needs NBA title to take spot alongside MVPs like LeBron, Jordan, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Needlessly standing there, hands at his sides, completely uninvolved in the offense. Durant has only played in eight regular season games and five postseason games with his new squad. Their defensive rating has gone from 29th to 17th to sixth. PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 25: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers in action against Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston . Read our expert rankings on the best sports betting sites here. Though drop coverage is great for curtailing at-rim attempts, it concedes off-the-dribble shots from the three-point line and the midrange. Switching 1-through-5 could be one of Denver's best forms of defense against Phoenix's high-octane offense. Two days and a conversation with Williams later, Ayton was more upbeat after Mondays practice about how hes impacted the series going into Tuesdays Game 5 at Footprint Center. Naming the head coach as a playoff x-factor is unique, if not unprecedented. He was one of five Suns players to score in double figures including a team-high 23 points from. On NBA 2K23, Kevin Durant is Phoenix Suns' highest rated player, followed by Devin Booker in second place, and Chris Paul in third. Overall, Ayton this season is defending 13.9 shots per game and holding opponents to 48% shooting: 1.1% below where they would expect to be. 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. People climbing up on your shoulders like youre a ladder. A consensus five-star prospect in the Class of 2017 and a McDonald's All-American, he played one season of college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, where he was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year. Home Check out this Caesars Sportsbook promo code for April 2023 here. 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. There's no reason for Malone to go away from his small-ball gambit against the Suns. By circumstance, this allows the screener to run free and make decisions in the open floor. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The Suns entered Fridays playoff games last in bench points per game at 14.4 points. 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. Scouting Deandre Ayton at NBA summer league - Phoenix Suns - ESPN Using Gordon and Jeff Green at center was even more effective against Minnesota. The end result is a missed three-pointer and a rebound for DA. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Explore Who was drafted #1 overall in 2020? What? You want to talk about motor, man. But there are some metrics we can look to as guidessome fairly objective and others a bit more subjective, but frequently accepted as evidence in association with other data. 7'1" big 24.6 years old #1 pick in 2018. . The league average for offensive-rebounds-per game is currently 9.8. Ayton did an admirable job defending Joker in the 2021 series, but typically after an . Deandre stands with arms raised, covering the width of a Dodge Ram 1500.

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