Pace: Suns 99.50 (Tied-9th), Nuggets 94.82 (Tied-11th). He scored 46 versus the Suns in the 2018-19 season and averaged 28.3 in four games against them in 2019-20 season. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Defensive awareness needs to improve. ", Just being a presence on both ends of the floor. 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. Interpreted as: Deandre Ayton defense rating this regular season StatMuse has season-level data for defensive rating going back to the 1973-74 season. Mikal can be great and take risks due to the presence of Ayton. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). "In an ideal world, I actually want even more," Suns head coach Monty Williams said postgame on Ayton. So far this season, Ayton is defending 4.7 such shots per game and has a defended field goal percentage of 64.6, which is almost dead-on with the 64.7 season average for those shooters. Ayton had 18 points in Game 1, but he grabbed just eight rebounds with only three coming in the first half of last weeks loss. He saves that intensity and focus for defensive side of the ball. 1 overall of the 2018 NBA Draft, shot 8-of-12 from the field and was a team-best +20 in his 34 minutes. The fact that Ayton isn't some "nobody" rotational Center but instead a former #1 pick who stands 7'1 250 and averages a double double for his career is going to bring a ton of scrutiny and slander HIS WAY. Paul, Booker, and Durant are all lethal midrange scorers and utilize specific moves like the "snake dribble" to find windows of opportunity against dropping big men. On the other hand,. Ayton is faced with a decision: collapse on Cauley-Stein or stay home on Doncic. When asked about people questioning his motor, Ayton was initially incredulous. His defensive IQ continues to grow and with it comes the intelligence on how to effectively stop the fast break. How the Suns lost Game 1, and what that means for the rest of the series, The odds are now well against the Phoenix Suns in this series, though a few tweaks and better effort could make a world of difference, Suns drop to 3rd best title odds as Warriors advance to second round. Deandre Ayton stood there at one point watching Nikola Jokic play tip drill on the rim. View Gallery: Photos: Suns vs. Clippers Game 4 playoffs, April 22, 2023, Phoenix Suns fans slam Deandre Ayton after Game 3 vs. Clippers: 'Youre better than this', Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. As mentioned earlier, Denver should absolutely explore blitzing Phoenix's pick-and-rolls with Booker and Durant to get the ball out of their hands. Phoenix, meanwhile, has taken things up another level in the playoffs with Durant in the fold. Here's a legitimate 7-footer with all the athleticism, talent and durability any franchise would want out of a No. Other than that, yeah, I guess. Follow him on Twitter at@DuaneRankin. Phoenix Suns center. "Blitzing" against the pick-and-roll should also get a lengthy look. 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. But that's the best-case scenario. Utilizing Joki as the drop defender is just asking for a thunderstorm of midrange buckets. Nuggets wing Bruce Brown is probably the best bench player of both teams. Any center worth his weight in Chipotle burritos should have the ability to box out on the defensive end. The goal was to get the ball out of Durant and Booker's hands even if that meant conceding three-pointers to Craig and Okogie. Have opinion about current state of theSuns? The Suns' transition attack has been downright spooky, ranked first out of all sixteen playoff teams. Deandre Ayton is on Instagram at deandreayton. The 6'11" center stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. Ayton finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in the game. They're also 5th in points allowed at 105 PPG and 6th in defensive rating at 109.6. 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. We hear from him, too. Late in the season, Denver busted out a small-ball lineup against the Golden State Warriors that eventually led to one of the most exciting victories of the season. His 101 defensive rating is the best of his career, per Basketball-Reference.com.Phoenix's defense ranks third in rating . Whether Ayton likes it or not, the Suns need his motor to be running hotter from here on out. Whoever can avoid picking up fouls and being loose with the ball will greatly determine the series. Still, Phoenix shot a robust 51.2%, and its 110.5 offensive rating in Game 1 was practically the equivalent of the regular-season Rockets (Houston had the third-worst offensive efficiency in the . As a center you see plenty of these sets run right at you nightly. Actions that involved switching between two guards or wings were particularly problematic for Phoenix. Averaging 16/10 in his 4 year caeer. In-game adjustments is what will separate the two in this series. As a team, the Nuggets are shooting the fourth-best three-point percentage in the postseason. And if you think Zubac appears comfortable posting up against smaller Suns defenders, boy, wait until you see how Nikola Joki looks in that setting. Latest on Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN We like to call that gathering place, Twitter. Deandre Ayton has a defensive rating of 111.0 this season. Per Cleaning the Glass, Ayton has increased the percentage of opponents missed field goals rebounded (fgDR%) from 77% last season to 88% this season. Which team has the most wins as home dogs since 2015-16? newsletter. 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. What is exciting is his growth. 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. Oops. They outscored the Timberwolves by 18.4 points per 100 possessions with these lineups, good for the 98th percentile. Who cares if Trae Young shot 9 for 22 last Monday; did you see his crossover-into-fail-bait last night? deandreayton, Position: Durant was one of the best pick-and-roll ball handlers this season in Brooklyn, and he's a historically great post-up player. Explore Who had the most wins as a favorite last season? Phoenix's defensive matchups are a little more interesting. Murray will again be tasked with guarding a veteran point guard, graduating from Mike Conley to Chris Paul. And it may be worth tracking throughout the season as the Suns seek to make a playoff run. Defense isnt as easy to quantify as offense, unfortunately. The guard spots are fascinating. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 4:39AM. Their defensive rating has gone from 29th to 17th to sixth. Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA (select parishes)/MA/MD/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. The results from there were pretty mixed. In other words, they'll need Ayton to play like a . Aytons court vision allows for the recognition on this play. Last season, Ayton defended 5.6 shots per game inside six feet, and had a defended field goal percentage of just 58%: almost six percent BELOW those same shooters averages at the distance. (45-37, 4th place in NBA Western Conference), Next Game: Its a collective group, but both ways, though, too. The team is currently 1st in the NBA opponents-points-per-game (100.8), 4th in defensive rating (104.4), and 8th in opponent-eFG% (.513). Durant's 23.3 percent usage ranked 33rd for players that have played in at least 50 playoff minutes, behind guys like Norman Powell, Jalen Johnson, and Malik Monk. 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. This early in the season we could still be dealing with a bit of an anomaly that will smooth out with time. Spread: Suns +2.5 . 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. . Being that anchor and aggressor. And its getting ugly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & resort (KS). And while some fans will (and arguably should) continue to ask more domination from Dominayton, Im more interested in his defense at the moment. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. 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. 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. Like Denver with Porter Jr., Durant will be in free safety mode. for No. Monday, May 1st vs Offensive rating: Suns 122.5 (1st), Nuggets 117.2 (4th). 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.". Allowing the opposition to have extra possessions isnt just frustrating, its darn near irresponsible. Communicating to my teammates what they cant see. Deandre stands with arms raised, covering the width of a Dodge Ram 1500. The 24-year-old scoffed at the notion . 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%. Le pivot a un vritable coup jouer, et il a montr en 2021 qu'il peut parfois sur-performer durant une srie. 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. Have no fear, Mikal, as DA is there. Additional contributions by Neil Paine. home/away, monthly, etc More Deandre Ayton Basketball Reference pages, 2022-23 Suns Do you blame him? Cauley-Stein begins a delayed roll on the weak side. Through three playoff contests, the fifth-year big man is averaging 14.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, but he's shooting just 60 percent from the free-throw line. 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. He has a vertical approach to his defense; he jumps straight up and allows players to attempt to occupy his space. Suns vs. Nuggets odds. Advanced Game Log 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. 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. Jalen Brunson, Dallas . The Suns, currently with the third-best defensive rating league, believe they can get even better defensively and Ayton has a huge role to play in that. Its opening everything else for everybody else.. Denver has kicked things into high gear in the postseason and ranks fifth in defensive rating after finishing just 17th during the regular season. By circumstance, this allows the screener to run free and make decisions in the open floor. The Suns will need more than a Tesla motor to stop the two-time MVP. Ayton has posted a double-double in back-to-back contests, and the Suns have claimed a 2-1 lead over the Clippers after dropping Game 1. NBA Power Rankings: Here's where every team stands heading in to . Some other defensive-oriented data on Ayton appear to corroborate at least slight underperformance relative to last season. Nuggets coach Michael Malone and Williams established a culture that has been the foundation for the success of their teams. A block. Landry Shamet continues to be the first guy off the bench for the Suns. At best, he's Phoenix's fourth option now, a major change from being the face of the franchise when he was first drafted. Clippers big Ivica Zubac had 11 rebounds in the first half, 15 for the game. Your default site has been set for 7 days, Deandre Ayton's evolution steals spotlight in Suns statement win in Miami, career-high offensive rating and defensive rating. 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. Trade value on the open market is 20.83 which ranks him 15th among center's and 57th overall. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin atdmrankin@gannett.comor contact him at 480-787-1240. The acquisition of Durant meant Ayton's role changed again. 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. Well, for one, he can have Joki play much closer to screens and "hedge." Phoenix is aggressive about pushing the ball up the floor on misses and turnovers, and they have multiple top-tier passers that can connect the dots to find the open man on the break. I hit my middies so theyre pressing up. Center Maybe. Monte Morris thought that isolating himself against the third-year center from the University of Arizona was a good idea. Needlessly standing there, hands at his sides, completely uninvolved in the offense. Start your online subscription. 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. Defensively Im where I need to be at, Ayton stated last week. There are times when it almost feels like the Suns forget they have Kevin Durant on the team. Already a member? Not only did Durant become a Sun just two short months ago, he also dealt with an ankle sprain in March that kept him off the floor for three full weeks. 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. Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA (select parishes)/MA/MD/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Mistakes happen (and some players are very hard to categorize)! 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. There may come a time when Denver needs to make small changes to its rotation. More: Statistical model by Nate Silver. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/yi4627io3C, Sweet Lettuce (@Sw33tL3ttuc3) April 30, 2023, DeAndre Ayton gives up on basketball pic.twitter.com/CpR4mzr3cC, Trade Deandre ayton this offseason, im done defending him pic.twitter.com/vQcP0gTbbX, Deandre Ayton keeps this up and Suns gettng swept, horrible effort. It's Ayton's job to put up some kind of defense to keep Jokic from dominating the way he does & impacting the game. 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). Just crash a little bit more, said Ayton, as he has a total of 12 offensive rebounds in the latter three games after not accounting for one offensive board in Game 1. The "short roll" is when a player screens and then receives a pass halfway to the basket. Here's an example of what that looks like from the Timberwolves series. There are times when Ayton struggles within his new rolea role that's narrow but requires him to excel at the finer details of the game. One of Aytons strengths as a defender relative to many other bigs around the NBA is his mobility, which allows him to defend players on the perimeter that celebrated elite defensive centers like Rudy Gobert simply wouldnt dare to guard more than ten feet from the rim.
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