Deandre Ayton facing 25 game suspension

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I saw nothing in Young at OU that told me he was a Top-5 pick. Dude was streaky and lacked confidence at times. He’s definitely been a pleasant surprise.

He looked great to me, at least until teams started to realize that he was the only player they had to worry about.

 

[dscher]

#tradeayton

 

[Superbone]

Exactly! It wasn't so much about the better player. More, as
it should be, who would best help the team going forward.

A Center, or trying a Forward with good distribution skills?

Considering how inept we were at Center at the time, it
made sense to fill that need over a non-Guard distributor.

It was not in the best interest for a team as weak as we
were at so many positions to take more stabs in the dark
versus building a solid foundation.

I say that despite Ayton not yet showing the strength in the
middle that we hoped for. As evidenced by our then having
to find a legitimate Point Guard, which we, happily, did.

And Ayton's suspension is proving it is easier to find good
role-playing Centers to go with an expert Point Guard than
vice versa. Especially when it leads to returning Booker to
his good distributing Shooting Guard position, even though
he is going through an adjustment in his first 2 games.

In retrospect, it was the best decision. Even without Ayton,
it passes the eye test, because we wound up with a legitimate
Point Guard, which helps everyone else on the team more
than any other position.

I don't know if I buy that. The league has been changing and a dominant center isn't as important these days. You need superstars and Doncic had that superstar potential. Now, I haven't given up on Ayton but I am concerned about his lack of motor and hope he can learn to keep it humming. Game 1 was a good indication. However, he still needs to learn aggression. It's a waste of that big, athletic body if he can't force his will and draw fouls in the Embiid mold.

 

[Western Font]

This is brutal. But whatever the league and union settle on is what it is. All I can hope for is that the time he and the team miss in development on the court is channeled to improve some motivation and wisdom as Ayton watches a few other players play hard with his minutes.

I'm still in because when Ayton does things they look so easy. EJ and Ray will rave about a score that looks like an overreaction, and then I realize it's because Ayton caught the ball with soft hands and tap-danced through the lane before effortlessly "dunking." I know we want to see a mean streak, but it's so easy to imagine a big man's body holding up long-term with movement like that.

 

[JCSunsfan]

If we eventually get the Ayton of game 1 Sacramento on a consistent basis, he is worth the #1 pick. Not saying he will be better than Doncic but we should be happy with him.

 

[devilalum]

This is brutal. But whatever the league and union settle on is what it is. All I can hope for is that the time he and the team miss in development on the court is channeled to improve some motivation and wisdom as Ayton watches a few other players play hard with his minutes.

I'm still in because when Ayton does things they look so easy. EJ and Ray will rave about a score that looks like an overreaction, and then I realize it's because Ayton caught the ball with soft hands and tap-danced through the lane before effortlessly "dunking." I know we want to see a mean streak, but it's so easy to imagine a big man's body holding up long-term with movement like that.

His fluidity and temperament remind me of Duncan. I compared him to Duncan at the draft and people laughed. Duncan was trained for 4 years in the ACC before he entered the NBA.

 

[JCSunsfan]

His fluidity and temperament remind me of Duncan. I compared him to Duncan at the draft and people laughed. Duncan was trained for 4 years in the ACC before he entered the NBA.

Duncan entered the league three years older than Ayton is now. Just the maturity factor is huge. I am sure the Naval Academy was better for maturity growth than UofA.

 

[devilalum]

Duncan entered the league three years older than Ayton is now. Just the maturity factor is huge. I am sure the Naval Academy was better for maturity growth than UofA.

Wrong Spur #1 pick.
Duncan went to Wake.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Wrong Spur #1 pick.
Duncan went to Wake.

I meant Robinson. Sorry.

 

[taz02]

I'm a huge Ayton fan and believed at the time he was the right pick. But its really hard to argue that now. Few if anyone would pick Ayton over Doncic today.

Doncic
29-pts 10-rebounds 7-ast 2-stl

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Doncic isn’t doing anything that I didn’t believe he could do. I still wanted Ayton and I still don’t think we have seen anywhere near the best he has to offer. If Ayton becomes what he is absolutely capable of here will be a dominant center and the pairing with Booker will be outstanding.

 

[Raindog]

When Doncic is challenging for (or winning) championships with Dallas, then you can throw around the "told you so's."

Until then, he's just another guy with "empty stats," just like Ayton, Young, etc.

 

[Hoop Head]

When Doncic is challenging for (or winning) championships with Dallas, then you can throw around the "told you so's."

Until then, he's just another guy with "empty stats," just like Ayton, Young, etc.

Doncic has looked good so far but so has Ayton. I'm sure if you people wanted to scour Mav's forums they'll find fans that are upset with his defense like there have been with Suns fans regarding Ayton. Until Doncic does something that Ayton hasn't, like take the Mavericks to the postseason, then I'll start wishing we had a mulligan available for the 2018 draft. Until then, if we drafted Doncic then Igor is likely still this team's coach and I'm not sure anyone would be ecstatic because of that.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I was a huge Trae Young fan, thought Doncic was going to enter the league at near superstar status and still I wanted Ayton. I'm not convinced he'll have the best overall career of the group but we've tried for many decades to fill the center position with a potentially dominant big man and IMO we did just that.

IMO Deandre had a far better rookie season than most fans give him credit for. And, as I mentioned many months ago, for some reason, the media and many fans marvel at what Doncic can do while ignoring his shortcomings yet they tend to do the exact opposite with Ayton.

 

[gimpy]

Has anything been said or posted about when or if his suspension appeal is or will be heard?

 

[JCSunsfan]

Best case scenario. Ayton gets reduced to 10 games.

When he comes back, he has to come off the bench because the team is playing so well with Baynes and Kaminski at C.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Best case scenario. Ayton gets reduced to 10 games.

When he comes back, he has to come off the bench because the team is playing so well with Baynes and Kaminski at C.

I have no idea what will happen but what makes you think 10 games it best case scenario? I suspect they won't move off of the 25 games but for me, best case scenario is time served (IOW 1 game).

IMO When he comes back, he has to come back as the starter unless the team wants to add to his penalty or if he needs a game or two to get into shape and up to speed. Nothing has happened (on the court) to justify moving Ayton out of the starting lineup. It's not like we didn't blow out the favored Kings in his only game so far.

 

[Hoop Head]

I think there is a very real possibility that it's reduced to 20 to match some other penalties that have been handed out before, like have been mentioned previously in the thread. I know the rule is now 25 games but I could see the league coming to an agreement where they give a little to let the players union feel like their fight made a real difference. A 5 game reduction is only suspending him for the amount of games he would have gotten had he been popped last year, so I don't think it's unrealistic.

The players union fast tracked this for a reason. They feel there is something to argue, what that is though? We likely won't know unless it is reduced. If they can only fast track 2 things a year and this is 1, then there has to be something that makes them feel like their fight won't be in vain.

 

[Proximo]

Call me a pessimist, but I will be shocked if it is not the full 25 games.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Call me a pessimist, but I will be shocked if it is not the full 25 games.

Agreed

 

[Mainstreet]

Has anything been said or posted about when or if his suspension appeal is or will be heard?

I haven't heard anything. I did find this interesting article at Sports Illustrated which provides some details about the appeal process.

Here is a snippet from the article:


The NBPA, on Ayton’s behalf, will challenge the 25-game suspension. Article XXXIII contains a detailed procedure for advancing an appeal. The appeal will be heard by a grievance arbitrator, who is neutral and independent. Under Article XXXIII, a player must prove by a “clear and convincing evidence that he bears no significant fault or negligence” for the presence of a prohibited diuretic in his system.

Ayton will need evidence that shows not only that he didn’t know or suspect he was ingesting a diuretic, but that he could not have reasonably known or suspected. Ayton’s apology explained his likely strategy. He stresses “that this was an unintentional mistake and unfortunately I put something in my body that I was completely unaware of.”


https://www.si.com/nba/2019/10/25/deandre-ayton-phoenix-suns-suspension-drug-policy-violation

 

[JCSunsfan]

I haven't heard anything. I did find this interesting article at Sports Illustrated which provides some details about the appeal process.

Here is a snippet from the article:


The NBPA, on Ayton’s behalf, will challenge the 25-game suspension. Article XXXIII contains a detailed procedure for advancing an appeal. The appeal will be heard by a grievance arbitrator, who is neutral and independent. Under Article XXXIII, a player must prove by a “clear and convincing evidence that he bears no significant fault or negligence” for the presence of a prohibited diuretic in his system.

Ayton will need evidence that shows not only that he didn’t know or suspect he was ingesting a diuretic, but that he could not have reasonably known or suspected. Ayton’s apology explained his likely strategy. He stresses “that this was an unintentional mistake and unfortunately I put something in my body that I was completely unaware of.”


https://www.si.com/nba/2019/10/25/deandre-ayton-phoenix-suns-suspension-drug-policy-violation

He is going to have to prove he did not know. And blaming it on the trainer will not fly either because any player could set up that kind of deniability. I would think he would have to prove that he was not covering anything up. Maybe hair or blood tests could help there.

 

[Mainstreet]

He is going to have to prove he did not know. And blaming it on the trainer will not fly either because any player could set up that kind of deniability. I would think he would have to prove that he was not covering anything up. Maybe hair or blood tests could help there.

I guess the NBPA thinks he has a case or they wouldn't have taken it upon appeal.

Hair tests I would think is the most telling long term.

 

[devilalum]

He is going to have to prove he did not know. And blaming it on the trainer will not fly either because any player could set up that kind of deniability. I would think he would have to prove that he was not covering anything up. Maybe hair or blood tests could help there.

Maybe this would help.

https://www.cologuardtest.com/?gcli...HSPZtR4p2rkn5MvtkLXfIK6yjrLDHxlhoC1-0QAvD_BwE



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cheesebeef]

I have no idea what will happen but what makes you think 10 games it best case scenario? I suspect they won't move off of the 25 games but for me, best case scenario is time served (IOW 1 game).

IMO When he comes back, he has to come back as the starter unless the team wants to add to his penalty or if he needs a game or two to get into shape and up to speed. Nothing has happened (on the court) to justify moving Ayton out of the starting lineup. It's not like we didn't blow out the favored Kings in his only game so far.

totally agree with all of the above.