Some thoughts on the Ayton suspension. First, I am going to assume that the underlying issue is marijuana use. I am fairly confident this is the case. The suspension is here. What positives can we hope for?
1. Time to re-evaluate his game. Ayton gets to watch Baynes and the team succeed without him. I wonder if he has the maturity and humility to see that he needs to change. He needs to play more like Baynes. Set hard picks, play position D, take defensive leadership. If this suspension results in this kind of change, it might be worth it.
2. Time to re-evaluate his lifestyle. I do not know for sure Ayton has a pot problem, but anecdotal evidence seems to indicate so. I am not talking about the legality, it just makes sense that pot can impact performace--especially if the player's problem is inattention and lack of competitiveness. I imagine it might actually help a player who is edgy or gets too nervous, but that is not Ayton. If Ayton has a problem, and if this gets him off of it, it might be worth it.
3. Time to re-evaluate his role--actually the roles of both Ayton and Baynes. Baynes is playing too well just to yank him back to a back-up center role. That would just be unwise and potentially demoralizing to the team. Ayton is the long-term answer at center for this team, but Baynes' presence allows for a more effective development curve. I would not pull Baynes out of the starting line-up. Ayton needs to earn his way back. That would fit with the team-first mentality that Monty has implemented and it might light a fire under Ayton. Based upon their relative strengths, it makes sense that Ayton and Baynes could be on the court together. It doesn't matter which you call center and which you call pf. Baynes shoots like a pf and defends like a center. Ayton scores and rebounds like a center and defends like a pf.
4. Set the picks. One of the reasons Baynes is so effective in pick and roll is that he sets such good picks. Players are so focused on the pick itself, they lose focus on the roll. Since Baynes can shoot the three, he can pick and roll or pick and pop. But it all starts with the pick. The first sign that Ayton is developing is whether he learns to set hard picks. If that starts to happen, then watch out.