The Ayton Plan

[Superbone]

I was leaning toward Luka before the draft. I really wanted us to try to trade for the 2nd or 3rd pick and get both. That might not have been a realistic option though.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

If we are discussing draft flops, Jalen Smith over Halliburton is as glaring than Ayton over Luka.

SGA also went one pick after Bridges FWIW

 

[Cheesebeef]

If we are discussing draft flops, Jalen Smith over Halliburton is as glaring than Ayton over Luka.

SGA also went one pick after Bridges FWIW

So many sliding doors moments with seemingly every pick outside of Devin Booker for pretty much the last decade.

 

[Muggz]

I was against that Sabonis trade. Willing to admit I was wrong. So far

 

[GatorAZ]

Also, people keep leaving out Luka was not a known commodity. Execs from the NBA were flying to Europe to watch him in European games, which were hard to equate to the NBA game. I blame Luka's agent for Luka NOT being the consensus number one pick. Luka's agent could have gotten Luka into NBA work outs, etc., and driven the hype much more. I remember pre draft, draft experts basically saying, "I haven't seen this young man, but I hear he has an NBA game already." Heck, I drove from Prescott to Phoenix and listened to an NPR documentary on him because NPR thought he was such an enigma. People make it sound so cut and dried, and it wasn't.

It’s not like he was Drazen Petrovic coming out of Yugoslavia in the late 80’s and impossible to watch. Everyone knew who Luka was because he played for Real Madrid. The Suns had his national coach and didn’t seek his advice. I remember Sarver and Jones going over to see him play without McDonough then McD was fired before the start of the season. Ayton was a physical upside pick and I doubt they did extensive interviews with him because it would’ve been so simple for a smart GM to sift thru the nonsense.

It’s just on those teams for not doing their homework or believing stereotypes. He was the #1 prospect on the Ringer that year and smart basketball people thought the Suns/Kings made a big mistake in real time. As for the fit with Booker, how often do we complain he doesn’t have a consistent enough scorer/creator next to him in the playoffs?

At least we got two great years from CP3 so the decision didn’t slam us directly in the face until last year.

 

[Superbone]

I was against that Sabonis trade. Willing to admit I was wrong. So far

I was for drafting him. Instead we got two stiffs instead.

 

[Ronin]

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[AzStevenCal]

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It's seemed worse.

 

[Waysouth]

Interesting comments between Luka and Ayton. To me the question is how Luka and Booker would co-exist? Both are alphas, both need the ball in their hands. Would the one diminish the other? Would one drive the other away?

Ayton has his flaws. But the offense is not built for him. Someone above mentioned David Robinson. He never spent the entire game setting screens 25 feet from the basket.

 

[Phrazbit]

Interesting comments between Luka and Ayton. To me the question is how Luka and Booker would co-exist? Both are alphas, both need the ball in their hands. Would the one diminish the other? Would one drive the other away?

Ayton has his flaws. But the offense is not built for him. Someone above mentioned David Robinson. He never spent the entire game setting screens 25 feet from the basket.

I think Booker and Luka would have been a bad pairing, both are ball dominant and when Luka entered the league Booker was still a bad defender. I think by year 3 we would have traded one... almost certainly Booker.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Good basketball players making 30M+ make for a bad team. He is soft with a low BB IQ and less than zero desire

I agree. He’s also the best center we’ve ever had. Both can be true. Sadly.

 

[Yuma]

I agree. He’s also the best center we’ve ever had. Both can be true. Sadly.

True. Already he has set center records for us.

 

[Muggz]

Interesting comments between Luka and Ayton. To me the question is how Luka and Booker would co-exist? Both are alphas, both need the ball in their hands. Would the one diminish the other? Would one drive the other away?

Ayton has his flaws. But the offense is not built for him. Someone above mentioned David Robinson. He never spent the entire game setting screens 25 feet from the basket.

It pains me that more people don't see this. I will never diss DA. Dude is doing exactly what's asked of him and more. And what we are asking of him is seriously ********, not in the window licking way just in the I'm a ******* and don't know how to use a Center way.

 

[Phrazbit]

Good basketball players making 30M+ make for a bad team. He is soft with a low BB IQ and less than zero desire

Ayton is Mercurial, no question, but I think this is way off base.

Soft... yes, low BBIQ, absolutely not, low desire? No, I don't see that either.

He's a man child with a dash of savant. He sets screens and plays rotational defense as well as anyone in the NBA, those skills require a huge BBIQ, at the same time he will try a fade away 6 foot shot while being totally undefended... dude can have an uncontested dunk but instead will test out his one handed, off balance, fade.

I honestly think his BBIQ is sky high, but he lacks toughness and self motivation. The self motivation is his biggest weakness. He will have a stretch where he looks like the best big in the NBA, and he will make it look easy... and then he will vanish, he still might put up quality stats, but the impact is nonexistent.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It pains me that more people don't see this. I will never diss DA. Dude is doing exactly what's asked of him and more. And what we are asking of him is seriously ********, not in the window licking way just in the I'm a ******* and don't know how to use a Center way.

Not exactly true. We’ve heard from the coaches over multiple seasons that they want him to play with more force and draw fouls and he’s really never done that consistently. Even his good games (see last night) don’t come with many free throws. Could’ve used him drawing contact down the stretch when he couldn’t hit a shot and the nets were going on a run on us. That’s when purposefully drawing contact comes in handy.

 

[Covert Rain]

It pains me that more people don't see this. I will never diss DA. Dude is doing exactly what's asked of him and more. And what we are asking of him is seriously ********, not in the window licking way just in the I'm a ******* and don't know how to use a Center way.

You can't be ranked 39th in protecting the rim among your peers at your position and say he is doing what is asked of him. What is being asked of him all during the offseason (including in DA's words himself), was that he needed to be more consistent. Yet he still struggles at times with that too. Look 17.5/10 rebounds isn't horrible. He is not the worst center in the league by a long shot. But expected? Can't go there. He was a #1 pick. They are asking him to be a consistent force at both ends.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

You can't be ranked 39th in protecting the rim among your peers at your position and say he is doing what is asked of him. What is being asked of him all during the offseason (including in DA's words himself), was that he needed to be more consistent. Yet he still struggles at times with that too. Look 17.5/10 rebounds isn't horrible. He is not the worst center in the league by a long shot. But expected? Can't go there. He was a #1 pick. They are asking him to be a consistent force at both ends.

Watching him try to defend the rim last night became comical. His timing and positioning is so awful. He’s long enough that if he just put his arms out it would be tough, but his flailing typically results in his hands reaching the block point waaaay late.

I’ve also noticed his pick and roll defense often lands him in no man’s land where he is neither close enough to the ballhandler to disrupt the pass nor close enough to the roller to stop the layup/dunk. And because our defense plays over picks the roller is almost always free to the hoop. I don’t know why teams don’t just pick and roll us to death. Tougher to do on biz.

 

[Covert Rain]

Watching him try to defend the rim last night became comical. His timing and positioning is so awful. He’s long enough that if he just put his arms out it would be tough, but his flailing typically results in his hands reaching the block point waaaay late.

I’ve also noticed his pick and roll defense often lands him in no man’s land where he is neither close enough to the ballhandler to disrupt the pass nor close enough to the roller to stop the layup/dunk. And because our defense plays over picks the roller is almost always free to the hoop. I don’t know why teams don’t just pick and roll us to death. Tougher to do on biz.

Claxton magically got behind him on multiple occasions for easy buckets. It was frustrating at times.

 

[Sparky16]

It pains me that more people don't see this. I will never diss DA. Dude is doing exactly what's asked of him and more. And what we are asking of him is seriously ********, not in the window licking way just in the I'm a ******* and don't know how to use a Center way.

what are we asking for, to give a crap? He is only cashing a check. They cannot trade him fast enough. The longer they wait the less his mythical trade value is. Talk about empty stats

 

[Dr. Jones]

Checking in here because I truly have no clue....... What is his Non-Covid Illness? Is he just being sat out or is this for real???

 

[Chaplin]

Checking in here because I truly have no clue....... What is his Non-Covid Illness? Is he just being sat out or is this for real???

Could be strep throat, could be pink eye, could be non-COVID flu... No need to jump to conclusions, especially with video of him practicing today posted on this very site.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Could be strep throat, could be pink eye, could be non-COVID flu... No need to jump to conclusions, especially with video of him practicing today posted on this very site.

It's been a week but yeah. I thought it was longer.

 

[Sparky16]

Wonder what the Suns record is with and w/o the Check Casher. Get on a little win streak then Empty Stats returns and they lose at home to a short handed Mavs team that was on the skids coming in...... shocker

 

[elindholm]

Turner re-ups with the Pacers for $60M/2yr, so cross him off the list.

 

[Finito]

Turner re-ups with the Pacers for $60M/2yr, so cross him off the list.

Holy crap. I couldn’t imagine paying Turner 30 million a year. He’s averaged about 43 games the last couple years.

For the guy’s complaining about Ayton’s contract it’s the market we are in. This is what guys get paid.