The Ayton Plan

[Muggz]

DA stepped up BIG in the playoffs last year. And will likely do it again.
Ima keep my mouth shut until he gives me a REAL reason to worry.
We are the best team in the NBA and don't really need DA to grab 20 rebounds a game.

Id like to see him lead the league in everything and if he was on a ******* team he might.
But right now lets just stay on course and Waffle Stomp our way through the playoffs.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

DA stepped up BIG in the playoffs last year. And will likely do it again.
Ima keep my mouth shut until he gives me a REAL reason to worry.
We are the best team in the NBA and don't really need DA to grab 20 rebounds a game.

Id like to see him lead the league in everything and if he was on a ******* team he might.
But right now lets just stay on course and Waffle Stomp our way through the playoffs.

No one is asking for 20 a game. We just want to see a consistent effort on the boards. That really hasn't been there and there is no guarantee that it won't bleed into the playoffs. The other issue is the team is about to have to drop a max contract on him and you would hope if you are spending that kind of money you will see a consistent effort, day in day out. Of course he is still young and can/will likely do better over time.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Fantastic game by Ayton tonight

 

[Resin07]

I really like Ayton and I want him to be a Phoenix Sun for a long time. His game ,to me, finally seems to be developing. He has a really soft touch, and when he is inside the paint I expect it to go in. He is also more consistent from 15 to 18 feet. There have been a few games where he didn't seem completely invested and his rebounding was suspect. However, after acknowledging he needed to improve, the last few games I can tell he is putting in a more conscience effort to rebound. This is why I'm confident he will flip a switch, and kill it in this years playoffs.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

His effort on the boards was distinctly obvious last night and it showed up in his numbers. We will need that glasseater in the playoffs.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Just heard a stat that the Suns are 25-1 this year when Ayton gets 10+ rebounds and 13-10 when he doesn't. Goes to show how important Ayton going hard on the boards is for this team to win games.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Just heard a stat that the Suns are 25-1 this year when Ayton gets 10+ rebounds and 13-10 when he doesn't. Goes to show how important Ayton going hard on the boards is for this team to win games.

Okay but I think it's more than just rebounds. When he's fully engaged, that includes working hard on the boards.

 

[Muggz]

Again, Ayton is still playing for a bag he WILL be there in the playoffs.
Plus after last season I'm not sure how much of this is Ayton or what Monte, Book or CP3 is telling him to do.
IMO He is the best center we will have a shot at for the forseeable future.
Keep him happy pay him and let him finish going through puberty.

 

[Proximo]

I am really excited with some of the dribble moves ayton has been showing lately. He perfects those and our teams offensive potential sky rockets.

 

[Mainstreet]

I am really excited with some of the dribble moves ayton has been showing lately. He perfects those and our teams offensive potential sky rockets.

Agree. Offensively Ayton is starting to look very comfortable.

Perhaps after he perfects his offensive game the next step will be defense not that it's not good now.

I try to remember Ayton didn't grow up playing basketball like most kids do.

 

[Covert Rain]

There isn't a plan any longer. Dude is getting his Scrooge McDuck vault of money. Period.

 

[JCSunsfan]

There isn't a plan any longer. Dude is getting his Scrooge McDuck vault of money. Period.

And it's OK. He is what he is and we ought to be thankful for that.

 

[Ronin]

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[Covert Rain]

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I actually think Paul being out has benefitted Ayton. Everybody has brought up time and time again how much he is spoon fed by Paul. I think at one point last year I posted stats showing Ayton was spoon fed 80+% of the time or assisted on his shots. Many here said his next evolution would be being able to create his own shot.

I think despite Booker stepping up his assist game Ayton not having that crutch might have been a good thing.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I actually think Paul being out has benefitted Ayton. Everybody has brought up time and time again how much he is spoon fed by Paul. I think at one point last year I posted stats showing Ayton was spoon fed 80+% of the time or assisted on his shots. Many here said his next evolution would be being able to create his own shot.

I think despite Booker stepping up his assist game Ayton not having that crutch might have been a good thing.

I think there is a bit more to it than that. Ayton simply isn't a great pick and roll big. He is big and athletic so he is still effective doing it, but he has been able to do a little less of that with Chris out and little more of his mid range game instead.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think there is a bit more to it than that. Ayton simply isn't a great pick and roll big. He is big and athletic so he is still effective doing it, but he has been able to do a little less of that with Chris out and little more of his mid range game instead.

Yeah. This year he’s finally shown the ability to start maximizing his natural talent by figuring out not only how to establish position, but creating a little hook that is becoming more money by the game and getting more consistent on that turnaround J on the baseline.

And the fact that his ability to do so grew without CP3 being the feeder has cemented his argument to be max’d, no question about it, IMO.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ayton's 3-point shot is not looking too bad either in the flow of the game.

 

[overseascardfan]

Max him and get him some help in the frontcourt (rebounding & defense). Can't continue to surround him with 6'6 frontcourt guys who can't rebound or defend the post.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Max him and get him some help in the frontcourt (rebounding & defense). Can't continue to surround him with 6'6 frontcourt guys who can't rebound or defend the post.

It’s really a shame that we gave up on Stix so early. His size, rebounding ability, energy and what looks like improved 3 point shooting throughout the year could have been an absolute perfect fit moving forward. And he would have been cheap for another two years.

When he got regular minutes with us when we were down bigs, he produced at a solid level and in 15 games with regular minutes (24 per game) for the Pacers he’s putting up 13/8/1 on 56% overall shooting and 40% from 3 and not on a limited amount, shooting 4 per game.

 

[Suns_fan69]

My hypothesis, teams trapping Booker gives Ayton a lot more space in the mid-high post area where he loves to operate. CP, by contrast, ends up getting more traditional single coverage which Paul uses to get his mid-range shot from.

 

[Covert Rain]

I think there is a bit more to it than that. Ayton simply isn't a great pick and roll big. He is big and athletic so he is still effective doing it, but he has been able to do a little less of that with Chris out and little more of his mid range game instead.

Can you clarify? Because over the past two seasons he has been one of the most effective and at times the most effective pick and roll big in the league statistically. The rest I agree with.

It’s really a shame that we gave up on Stix so early. His size, rebounding ability, energy and what looks like improved 3 point shooting throughout the year could have been an absolute perfect fit moving forward. And he would have been cheap for another two years.

When he got regular minutes with us when we were down bigs, he produced at a solid level and in 15 games with regular minutes (24 per game) for the Pacers he’s putting up 13/8/1 on 56% overall shooting and 40% from 3 and not on a limited amount, shooting 4 per game.

He was definitely looking like he was going to the next level. However, the trade was absolutely necessary. I am not sure it was giving up on him so much as needing to send value the other way. I think the Suns were showing confidence in him giving him minutes before the trade.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Can you clarify? Because over the past two seasons he has been one of the most effective and at times the most effective pick and roll big in the league statistically. The rest I agree with.

I'm saying it's not the strength of his offensive game. He doesn't particularly love attacking the rim aggressively and struggles with catching the ball in traffic. Like I said his size and physical ability means that he is effective in the pick and roll, but he has other things that he is certainly more comfortable doing and we have been seeing that with Paul out.

 

[Finito]

Can you clarify? Because over the past two seasons he has been one of the most effective and at times the most effective pick and roll big in the league statistically. The rest I agree with.


He was definitely looking like he was going to the next level. However, the trade was absolutely necessary. I am not sure it was giving up on him so much as needing to send value the other way. I think the Suns were showing confidence in him giving him minutes before the trade.

Once we didn’t sign him in the offseason he was gone

 

[Finito]

It’s really a shame that we gave up on Stix so early. His size, rebounding ability, energy and what looks like improved 3 point shooting throughout the year could have been an absolute perfect fit moving forward. And he would have been cheap for another two years.

When he got regular minutes with us when we were down bigs, he produced at a solid level and in 15 games with regular minutes (24 per game) for the Pacers he’s putting up 13/8/1 on 56% overall shooting and 40% from 3 and not on a limited amount, shooting 4 per game.

Yeah Stix is looking like a guy who could be a perfect 4 for this team. A really long athletic defender/rebounder who can shoot the three.

Doh!

 

[Covert Rain]

I'm saying it's not the strength of his offensive game. He doesn't particularly love attacking the rim aggressively and struggles with catching the ball in traffic. Like I said his size and physical ability means that he is effective in the pick and roll, but he has other things that he is certainly more comfortable doing and we have been seeing that with Paul out.

Ah OK. Because it's pretty scary even though it's not his strength he was still tops in the league. His improvement on the hook doesn't Suprise me as much as the jump shot. Every time he shot that last season, I expected a miss. Even early on this season. I am shocked at how effective his mid-range has gotten as the season has gone on. I said from day on with Ayton that if he ever gets that shot down and comes to the realization few people can stop him down low? He will be a monster.