Getty Suns center Deandre Ayton
When the Phoenix Suns drafted their starting center Deandre Ayton with the first overall pick in 2018, they had big plans for his future. And in his first couple seasons in Phoenix, drafting the star big man seemed to be the right decision by the Suns’ front office as he helped lead them to the NBA Finals, in 2018.
But for the past two seasons, Ayton has become a proverbial headache for the Suns. His relationship with former head coach Monty Williams soured, and his effort on the floor has also been questionable. NBA insider Zach Lowe says that some people in the organization are growing ‘tired’ of Ayton’s antics.
“The organizational discontent, impatience, eye-rolling, whatever with Ayton, go way beyond Monty Williams,” Lowe said during a recent episode of his podcast, “The Lowe Post.”
“There’s a lot of people in that organization that are tired with Deandre Ayton. You can see it in the game. You don’t even have to be at the game to see the body language, the eye-rolling, the ‘what is this guy doing?’”
Zach Lowe Sends Strong Message to Deandre Ayton
Ayton was brought to Phoenix to be the face of the franchise along with star shooting guard Devin Booker. But Phoenix’s fortunes changed when they acquired Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2020 and then made a gargantuan trade to land Kevin Durant in February. And with a newfound wealth of star power now residing in Phoenix, Ayton’s touches have significantly decreased. But Lowe says that Ayton has to move past his dream of being “the guy” if he wants to remain a member of the Suns.
“I do think there is going to be a tendency to pile on Ayton and say that’s his fault, he’s immature, he wants to be a certain kind of player that he can’t and shouldn’t be on this team with three players who are better than him and all need the ball,” Lowe added.
“If you are Deandre Ayton, like yeah, tough s*** buddy, you’re not going to get ten post touches a game with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on your team. Welcome to real life. You’re the number one pick in the draft, you’re the guy your whole life, you’re not the guy anymore. That’s not the way it works.”
It Is Time for Deandre Ayton to Adjust His Game
Ayton’s relationship with the Suns may have declined in the past two seasons. But amid his effort being questioned, on the stat sheet, he is still an above-average center.
This past season he averaged 18.0 points per game (the second highest of his career) to go along with 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
If Ayton’s gripe is about the number of touches, he is getting, the best thing for him to do is adjust his style of play and continue to develop his game. Booker has had to deal with the incoming of star talent as well. And when he couldn’t change the number of shots he took after the Durant trade, what he did change was what he did with his shot opportunities. He responded by having the most efficient run of his playoff career.
If Ayton is unsatisfied with his role in Phoenix, he needs to adjust his game or move on.