The Ayton Plan

[JCSunsfan]

Just keep Ayton and let him be what he is and develop as a cog in this team. I am over wanting him to live up to his 1st overall status.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Turner has been better than Ayton this year. He's shooting 37% from 3 as a legit stretch big and averages almost 3x the number of blocks per game. Ayton does rebound a little better but I believe Turner would make up the difference if he didn't have better rebounders around him than Ayton does.

That deal is only good for the Suns and is bad for Indiana.


Here's a comparison of Ayton and Turners stats this year.

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He makes 1.5 3's a game. In no universe is a mid like Turner worth anywhere near Ayton. Can't believe you're trying to say Turner is better than Ayton, you know better.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Just keep Ayton and let him be what he is and develop as a cog in this team. I am over wanting him to live up to his 1st overall status.

This issue at this point isn’t him living up to his draft status… it’s now living up to a contract that eats up a massive part of the cap for a guy who only shows up 60% of the season.

 

[Covert Rain]

This issue at this point isn’t him living up to his draft status… it’s now living up to a contract that eats up a massive part of the cap for a guy who only shows up 60% of the season.

I struggle with Ayton. I really do. Even when his numbers are not great he has an impact just being on the floor. If you look at our team numbers defensively when he is on floor verses not, there is a big difference.

IT KILLS ME that with an overall #1 that it's not just clear cut all the time and a given.

 

[Mainstreet]

Just keep Ayton and let him be what he is and develop as a cog in this team. I am over wanting him to live up to his 1st overall status.

Either this or finding the right trade for Ayton.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I struggle with Ayton. I really do. Even when his numbers are not great he has an impact just being on the floor. If you look at our team numbers defensively when he is on floor verses not, there is a big difference.

IT KILLS ME that with an overall #1 that it's not just clear cut all the time and a given.

I'm in the same boat... Though, I do think it's quite clear-cut that he has not and likely never will live up to his #1 selection. His size and athleticism alone, give him the ability to be a positive on the defensive end of the court. Yet, for reasons that will likely haunt me forever, he can't somehow tap into his size and athleticism in ways that would produce equal value on the offensive end of the court.

All that said...I don't believe this Suns team would be better if he were not on the court. And, if there is a trade to be had, it would HAVE to bring a big that can deliver more consistently on offense than Ayton. Which really means, IMHO, there isn't a trade out there that would make a lot of sense... UGH...

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm in the same boat... Though, I do think it's quite clear-cut that he has not and likely never will live up to his #1 selection. His size and athleticism alone, give him the ability to be a positive on the defensive end of the court. Yet, for reasons that will likely haunt me forever, he can't somehow tap into his size and athleticism in ways that would produce equal value on the offensive end of the court.

All that said...I don't believe this Suns team would be better if he were not on the court. And, if there is a trade to be had, it would HAVE to bring a big that can deliver more consistently on offense than Ayton. Which really means, IMHO, there isn't a trade out there that would make a lot of sense... UGH...

The way the Suns play, they really only need a defensive, rebounding center who can finish plays like a Clint Capela.

However, it's much too early to give up on Ayton.

 

[82CardsGrad]

The way the Suns play, they really only need a defensive, rebounding center who can finish, plays like a Clint Capela.

However, it's much early to give up on Ayton.

Sure... I mean, if you want a team that plays well enough to make the post season on a regular basis, but isn't good enough to win it all... than yea, Ayton is your guy. I can't help but wonder if Ayton had just 50% of the determination and drive of Giannis, what kind of dominance we'd see from the Suns.

This is DA's 5th season and he'll turn 25 in July. Yes, it's too early to make permanent conclusions...but, it ain't too early by much. I'd say that if DA doesn't show tangible improvement next season, the die is cast... He will be who he's been... period.

 

[Mainstreet]

Sure... I mean, if you want a team that plays well enough to make the post season on a regular basis, but isn't good enough to win it all... than yea, Ayton is your guy. I can't help but wonder if Ayton had just 50% of the determination and drive of Giannis, what kind of dominance we'd see from the Suns.

This is DA's 5th season and he'll turn 25 in July. Yes, it's too early to make permanent conclusions...but, it ain't too early by much. I'd say that if DA doesn't show tangible improvement next season, the die is cast... He will be who he's been... period.

I'm not sure about Ayton yet. He can be frustrating to watch for sure when he is off.

If he had better hands, I would be much more optimistic.

 

[Mainstreet]

@82CardsGrad

Can you imagine Deandre Ayton with hands like Chris Paul. He would be an All-Star.

 

[82CardsGrad]

@82CardsGrad

Can you imagine Deandre Ayton with hands like Chris Paul. He would be an All-Star.

It's all a matter of "want-to." He just doesn't have it...

 

[Mainstreet]

It's all a matter of "want-to." He just doesn't have it...

I do think part of it may be his handle. If only he could hang onto more passes.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I do think part of it may be his handle. If only he could hang onto more passes.

He can devote himself to being a better handler/catcher of the ball... If he really was focused on taking the ball to the rim - forcefully, he'd be more committed to catching the damn ball and crashing the rim!

 

[Mainstreet]

He can devote himself to being a better handler/catcher of the ball... If he really was focused on taking the ball to the rim - forcefully, he'd be more committed to catching the damn ball and crashing the rim!

I'm not sure if Ayton has big hands for his size. This is why I'm not harder on him.

I think the Suns need to find a better way to find his sweet zone where he can catch it.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'm not sure if Ayton has big hands for his size. This is why I'm not harder on him.

I think the Suns need to find a better way to find his sweet zone where he can catch it.

If you Google "DeAndre Ayton's hands" you'll find some info. Apparently he has 9.5" hands, according to most sites with that info but that was also from his DraftExpress measurements. Here's their write up, which is fun to read years later because they tout his hands as a strength, "Excellent hands. Catches everything". And he does when he's engaged, for the most part.

Then I found another write up that mentions the same measurements but says his hands are small for his size. I haven't researched whether that's true or not but it's a quality write up from 2020. Here's that and there's other stuff about getting him going and his other measurements as the whole piece is about Ayton being an X factor.

 

[AzStevenCal]

If you Google "DeAndre Ayton's hands" you'll find some info. Apparently he has 9.5" hands, according to most sites with that info but that was also from his DraftExpress measurements. Here's their write up, which is fun to read years later because they tout his hands as a strength, "Excellent hands. Catches everything". And he does when he's engaged, for the most part.

Then I found another write up that mentions the same measurements but says his hands are small for his size. I haven't researched whether that's true or not but it's a quality write up from 2020. Here's that and there's other stuff about getting him going and his other measurements as the whole piece is about Ayton being an X factor.

Yes he's been touted as having excellent hands and even with us, he's earned that description at times. That's why it's so frustrating, sometimes he grabs everything near him and on other nights he can't catch a thing. And he was like this in college too. It was one of my bigger concerns about him when we landed the number 1 pick.

 

[Mainstreet]

If you Google "DeAndre Ayton's hands" you'll find some info. Apparently he has 9.5" hands, according to most sites with that info but that was also from his DraftExpress measurements. Here's their write up, which is fun to read years later because they tout his hands as a strength, "Excellent hands. Catches everything". And he does when he's engaged, for the most part.

Then I found another write up that mentions the same measurements but says his hands are small for his size. I haven't researched whether that's true or not but it's a quality write up from 2020. Here's that and there's other stuff about getting him going and his other measurements as the whole piece is about Ayton being an X factor.

I would be surprised if Ayton's hands are 9.5". If they are, I'd guess his hands and arms must be comparatively weak to stronger players. He mishandles passes and gets stripped of the ball regularly, although the stats may not show it.

On one of the Suns pregame shows they mentioned Ayton's hands were not overly big but did not elaborate.

I've been trying to find the size of Chris Paul's hands because they are strong and vise-like.

 

[Phrazbit]

He holds the ball too low in traffic and will put it on the court needlessly, I think it's the main reason he has "bad hands".

 

[Chaplin]

He holds the ball too low in traffic and will put it on the court needlessly, I think it's the main reason he has "bad hands".

He also needs his teammates to pass the ball above his knees more often.

 

[Phrazbit]

He also needs his teammates to pass the ball above his knees more often.

Well... even when they do he often then brings it down low on his own.

 

[Chaplin]

Well... even when they do he often then brings it down low on his own.

As long as you admit not all the time. After all, Ayton should take only so much blame, not all of it that this board is wont to do.

 

[Mainstreet]

He holds the ball too low in traffic and will put it on the court needlessly, I think it's the main reason he has "bad hands".

This is an accurate, Ayton does bring the ball too low in traffic, but it doesn't fully explain why he doesn't finish plays as well as he should.

 

[Phrazbit]

As long as you admit not all the time. After all, Ayton should take only so much blame, not all of it that this board is wont to do.

Well, I actually don't think hands are among Ayton's primary issues. I think he has above average hands, he just holds the ball too low on occasion. His hands wouldn't matter if he was more decisive about attacking them rim when he caught the ball, unless it is a lob he almost always tries to gather instead of going to fluidly... either that or he does his quick pull up, short range floater, which he is good at but when it misses it is embarrassing as he often could have just dunked it.

Brook Lopez... Alex Len... those guys had bad hands, I am not convinced Len had thumbs.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Well, I actually don't think hands are among Ayton's primary issues. I think he has above average hands, he just holds the ball too low on occasion. His hands wouldn't matter if he was more decisive about attacking them rim when he caught the ball, unless it is a lob he almost always tries to gather instead of going to fluidly... either that or he does his quick pull up, short range floater, which he is good at but when it misses it is embarrassing as he often could have just dunked it.

Brook Lopez... Alex Len... those guys had bad hands, I am not convinced Len had thumbs.

I agree with this assessment. I really never thought of him having a hands problem. Its just an aggressiveness thing. Its like he tries too hard to avoid fouls.

and maybe holding the ball low at times too.

 

[Hoop Head]

I would be surprised if Ayton's hands are 9.5". If they are, I'd guess his hands and arms must be comparatively weak to stronger players. He mishandles passes and gets stripped of the ball regularly, although the stats may not show it.

On one of the Suns pregame shows they mentioned Ayton's hands were not overly big but did not elaborate.

I've been trying to find the size of Chris Paul's hands because they are strong and vise-like.

Chris Paul's hands are 9 3/8 inches from what I found.

Chris Paul - MockDraftable

For comparison on Ayton, Jaren Jackson Jr reportedly has 10 inches hands.