Up the road amidst the dumpster fire that is the 2018-19 Phoenix Suns season, rookie sensation and No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton needs the ball more!
Hey, changing a losing culture isn’t easy. Since 2015-16, the Phoenix Suns are 79-228 (including this season so far). In comes rookie sensation Deandre Ayton, however, the results this year have been even worse.
Disjointed and disorganized, you can probably throw in any other adjective to describe the dismal product, that owner Robert Sarver has put out these past few years.
Arizona Wildcats
At the core of it all is no true leadership, guys who don’t know how to win, and even more so, your ‘once-in-a-generation’ talent and former Wildcat Ayton, isn’t getting the opportunities he deserves.
Granted, veteran and face of the program Devin Booker is going to be getting a bevy of the production and shots, however, you don’t draft the No. 1 player to have him go long stretches without getting the ball. You also don’t let him disappear as a head coach, yes that goes out to you, Igor!
Lost in the hype of his rookie season are also talented rookies like; Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Marvin Bagley III among others.
Despite averaging over 16 points and 10 rebounds per game, here’s how the rookie could be doing more.
In the 55 games played, the rookie is also averaging just over 12 shots per game. Just by comparison, similar position players like Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Karl-Anthony Towns all had more attempts in their respective rookie seasons.
So how do the Suns improve shy of getting a much-needed point guard? Well first off, they need to get the ball more to Ayton.
In the 17 games that he’s had 14 shots or more (yes you read that right), in those games Ayton is averaging 21.2 points per games. Quite the stark difference from the 16.4 points he’s averaging now.
Ayton’s 11 games with single digit shot attempts, is almost as many as he’s had when he has 14 or more attempts. How do you expect to have a major impact from your rookie, when he isn’t really even getting the chance?
He’s not like Doncic or Young, he doesn’t have the ball in his hands all that much, and has to wait for the pass to come to him to get fed down low. That’s where having a legitimate point guard would help.
Regardless, he needs more touches and the Suns have been doing him a huge disservice by not letting him be as involved as he needs to be.
Turning the Suns into a winner isn’t going to happen over night, but you’re going to have to appropriately use the talent you have to improve your odds of winning each night, and Ayton is certainly in the forefront of that conversation.
At Zona Zealots, we’re hoping the Suns can help turn it around and give the chance Ayton needs to make an even bigger impact with the team! Bear Down, Deandre!