Deandre Ayton on Joel Embiid: ‘I’m about to copy all of that’

[Hoop Head]

Chandler averaged 1.3 blocks/game in 19.3 mins/game his rookie year right out of high school. So close to three and half tines ayton’s current rate of blocks/minute.

Lopez averaged 0.7 blocks/ game in 10.2 mins/game. So also three and half times Ayton’s current rate of blocks/minute.

I’m not sure what you’re attempting to prove bringing up those two players in regards to discussing Aytin’s blocks.

I was referring to players who weren't aggressive when they entered the league but ended up becoming more aggressive as they got older. If I was talking about their blocks I would have mentioned that but 1tinsoldier asked about bigs that were timid, soft, or not very aggressive at the beginning of their career and ended up becoming that later.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I was referring to players who weren't aggressive when they entered the league but ended up becoming more aggressive as they got older. If I was talking about their blocks I would have mentioned that but 1tinsoldier asked about bigs that were timid, soft, or not very aggressive at the beginning of their career and ended up becoming that later.

Ah I have him on ignore. But I wouldn’t call those two “timid.” Id call them unskilled.

 

[Covert Rain]

As usual Suns fans are in the sky if falling mode 17% into a Rookie's season. Jeebus. Should we be concerned? There are some troubling signs. I would be more concerned if this entire team wasn't so damn bad and one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA.

Some of those centers above played for really good defensive teams or good defensive coaches even as rookies.

The kid is supposed to have a ton of raw talent and I get why people are concerned but worry about Booker getting more efficient. Worry about having one of the worst coaches and overall defensive teams in the NBA.

Give the kid a little longer to find his stride. In about a month or two I would be more concerned defensively if he doesn't show any signs of improvement.

 

[Carolinacacti]

I'm sure Chandler and Lopez as Rookies didn't have to worry about fouling out of the game. Ayton is playing it to safe that is for sure.

 

[Western Font]

I don’t think he needs to get specifically mean to protect the rim. If it’s not his personality he’ll just get exposed if he fakes it. I like the Duncan and Robinson references: let’s see some great talent, positioning, and fundamentals — and (gasp) joy in a job done right.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

As usual Suns fans are in the sky if falling mode 17% into a Rookie's season. Jeebus. Should we be concerned? There are some troubling signs. I would be more concerned if this entire team wasn't so damn bad and one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA.

Some of those centers above played for really good defensive teams or good defensive coaches even as rookies.

The kid is supposed to have a ton of raw talent and I get why people are concerned but worry about Booker getting more efficient. Worry about having one of the worst coaches and overall defensive teams in the NBA.

Give the kid a little longer to find his stride. In about a month or two I would be more concerned defensively if he doesn't show any signs of improvement.

Aaaand here comes the hyperbole and exaggeration. “Sky is falling” lol. Dude doesn’t protect the rim. Didn’t do it in college either. Facts man, facts. I know they’re troublesome.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Aaaand here comes the hyperbole and exaggeration. “Sky is falling” lol. Dude doesn’t protect the rim. Didn’t do it in college either. Facts man, facts. I know they’re troublesome.

And Booker’s defense is worse and he gets a pass. That’s a fact too.

 

[Chaplin]

I'm sure Chandler and Lopez as Rookies didn't have to worry about fouling out of the game. Ayton is playing it to safe that is for sure.

I don’t believe Chandler and Lopez were anchored by the expectations that are on Ayton. Or at least the expectations he puts on himself. He’s the ONLY #1 pick in this teams history, AND he heard nothing about how he would make the Suns at least not a cellar-dweller anymore. That’s rough for anyone, let alone a 20-year old kid.

 

[Chaplin]

And Booker’s defense is worse and he gets a pass. That’s a fact too.

From who? Jeebus, every thing posted on this forum for the past week has been either about how bad Booker is or how good Ayton should be.

 

[Covert Rain]

Aaaand here comes the hyperbole and exaggeration. “Sky is falling” lol. Dude doesn’t protect the rim. Didn’t do it in college either. Facts man, facts. I know they’re troublesome.

Then why would you expect ever for him to do it in the NBA? That's nonsensical. What HOF players didn't rebound or protect the rim in college then did it in the NBA?

By the way if Ayton’s college blocks translated to the NBA there would only be 7 guys in the NBA doing it better.

You are right....facts are troublesome.

It's probably more realistic to hope he at least alters you shots and occasionally performs above expectations. I would be thrilled if he matched his blocks in college and he is legit on the defensive boards.

 

[Suns_fan69]

To his credit, Ayton had at least 2 drives last game where he just took it hard at the rim, something he rarely did before. He also had a nice fadeaway J that was Embiid-esque.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

And Booker’s defense is worse and he gets a pass. That’s a fact too.

Yup. No argument from me.

 

[elindholm]

Ayton's one-on-one defense is really pretty good, among the best on the team (which I realize is a low bar). He doesn't block shots, but he does contest them. It's his help defense that is the glaring weakness. Part of the reason for that is that the Suns' perimeter defense is truly awful, maybe the worst I have ever seen, so there is always someone penetrating and the whole team is scrambling to compensate. Ayton isn't good at that, at all, but it wouldn't look quite so bad if he weren't put in a difficult position on nearly every play. When he does rotate over to help, there's no one to get the defensive rebound, so the resulting put-back ends up looking like his fault anyway.

 

[Covert Rain]

Ayton's one-on-one defense is really pretty good, among the best on the team (which I realize is a low bar). He doesn't block shots, but he does contest them. It's his help defense that is the glaring weakness. Part of the reason for that is that the Suns' perimeter defense is truly awful, maybe the worst I have ever seen, so there is always someone penetrating and the whole team is scrambling to compensate. Ayton isn't good at that, at all, but it wouldn't look quite so bad if he weren't put in a difficult position on nearly every play. When he does rotate over to help, there's no one to get the defensive rebound, so the resulting put-back ends up looking like his fault anyway.

That's what I see. I see him alter multiple shots per game which doesn't show up on stat sheets. You nailed it on how bad this team is overall defensively. I think you nailed it with help defense. It seems like once a team passes the ball around and penetrates the team completely collapses defensively.

 

[GatorAZ]

That's what I see. I see him alter multiple shots per game which doesn't show up on stat sheets. You nailed it on how bad this team is overall defensively. I think you nailed it with help defense. It seems like once a team passes the ball around and penetrates the team completely collapses defensively.

Still spends too much time in the paint serving as a Wallmart greeter. I was hoping Igor’s history with Rudy Gobert would rub off on him but Ayton has already bumped heads with him 15 games in. Not good.

Igor doesn’t seem like an alpha that this team needs. Ayton and coach aren’t on the same page. Booker and coach weren’t on the same page during the Celtics comeback and Jackson is publicly questioning the team’s preparation. Cutting a coach loose after one year is a bad look but if he can’t coach he can’t coach.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's hard to judge Kokoskov or even Triano when the Suns have gone two seasons without a starting point guard.

At least if the Suns had a point guard it would be easier to see what they need to fix although power forward is another obvious problem.

As we all agree, the Suns defense is a sieve. This seems to be coaching related.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It's hard to judge Kokoskov or even Triano when the Suns have gone two seasons without a starting point guard.

At least if the Suns had a point guard it would be easier to see what they need to fix although power forward is another obvious problem.

As we all agree, the Suns defense is a sieve. This seems to be coaching related.

It could be but having watched this team play similarly the past few years, I'm not so sure. Regardless, fixing our defense obviously had to be part of why he was hired so whether it's his fault or not, he's yet to give us any reason to believe he might be part of the solution.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

That's what I see. I see him alter multiple shots per game which doesn't show up on stat sheets. You nailed it on how bad this team is overall defensively. I think you nailed it with help defense. It seems like once a team passes the ball around and penetrates the team completely collapses defensively.

I think you guys are seeing what you want and hope to see. Other teams percentages at our rim don’t seem to reflect all these altered shots y’all are talking about. Either that or all these altered shots are altered but still going in the hoop. I guess we must just be really unlucky with all the altered shots going in. I mean like historically unlucky. So unlucky it strains credulity. And by that I mean I don’t buy this nonsense.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Still spends too much time in the paint serving as a Wallmart greeter. I was hoping Igor’s history with Rudy Gobert would rub off on him but Ayton has already bumped heads with him 15 games in. Not good.

Igor doesn’t seem like an alpha that this team needs. Ayton and coach aren’t on the same page. Booker and coach weren’t on the same page during the Celtics comeback and Jackson is publicly questioning the team’s preparation. Cutting a coach loose after one year is a bad look but if he can’t coach he can’t coach.

I certainly wouldn’t hold him to Gobert’s level If performance. I don’t even expect that 5 years into his career. Gobert is a special defender.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It could be but having watched this team play similarly the past few years, I'm not so sure. Regardless, fixing our defense obviously had to be part of why he was hired so whether it's his fault or not, he's yet to give us any reason to believe he might be part of the solution.

This is a reasonable post.

 

[1tinsoldier]

Ayton's 1on1 defense starts out fine because he has good footwork for a big
but he doesn't finish the job on the last half second of his opponent's move
doesn't want to get the foul, be impolite, whatever
it's the same with rebounds
he gathers up rebounds in his zone but doesn't hunt the ball or mix it up

indeed, he can learn from players like Embiid, and probably will
and like i said, he's young enough to grow a pair
as are many of the Suns

we know it can be done. drill sergeants toughen up soft marines
though nobody wants a drill sergeant for a coach
a sergeant that players respect should suffice

 

[Covert Rain]

I think you guys are seeing what you want and hope to see. Other teams percentages at our rim don’t seem to reflect all these altered shots y’all are talking about. Either that or all these altered shots are altered but still going in the hoop. I guess we must just be really unlucky with all the altered shots going in. I mean like historically unlucky. So unlucky it strains credulity. And by that I mean I don’t buy this nonsense.

What is it I want to see exactly? The horrid play? The missing defense? The turnovers? The horrid coaching?

Oh and it has nothing to do with luck if the team is giving up a ton of second chance points. Who is putting out hyperbole now? No weak side help. Hell no help at all. Even when he alters a shot, the teams get second chances left and right.

Again, we agree that some of this is on Ayton. However, you're watching a different team than I am if you think he is getting any help on this team.

 

[Mainstreet]

It could be but having watched this team play similarly the past few years, I'm not so sure. Regardless, fixing our defense obviously had to be part of why he was hired so whether it's his fault or not, he's yet to give us any reason to believe he might be part of the solution.

You know what they say, if he is not part of the solution, he might be part of the problem.

 

[1Sun]

It could be but having watched this team play similarly the past few years, I'm not so sure. Regardless, fixing our defense obviously had to be part of why he was hired so whether it's his fault or not, he's yet to give us any reason to believe he might be part of the solution.

And somehow, our league-worst defense has become even worse. Some of that is the roster, but Jackson, Booker, Ariza and Warren (especially Ariza and Jackson) all have regressed defensively in less than two months, Harrison's defense disappeared entirely and even Bridges is starting to have lapses.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

What is it I want to see exactly? The horrid play? The missing defense? The turnovers? The horrid coaching?

Oh and it has nothing to do with luck if the team is giving up a ton of second chance points. Who is putting out hyperbole now? No weak side help. Hell no help at all. Even when he alters a shot, the teams get second chances left and right.

Again, we agree that some of this is on Ayton. However, you're watching a different team than I am if you think he is getting any help on this team.

I never said he is getting help. I said he is not blocking shots. Then a bunch of you wanted to find an assortment excuses. It’s the coach, he doesn’t want to get fouls, he’s not getting help, he played power forward in college, he doesn’t see a reason to try hard, he’s altering shots. Despite all that . . . still not blocking shots.