NBA News: 2018 Rookie Top Pick Now Regarded As Phoenix Suns' Playoff MVP

The Phoenix Suns are on the cusp of the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since the 1993 Finals.

One of the most maligned franchises in the last decades, the Suns’ fortunes changed when they drafted Deandre Ayton with the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The big man from Nassau, Bahamas was highly touted for his ability to play in the paint and shoot the occasional midrange jumper.

Unlike most big men, Ayton doesn’t simply dominate the game with his physical presence similar to a Rudy Gobert or Shaquille O’Neal.

Possessing a very raw but similar game likened to that of a cross between the San Antonio Spurs’ David Robinson and Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon, Ayton posted a stat line of 16.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in his first 71 games.

The biggest knocks on Ayton at the time were his lapses on the defensive end, being in foul trouble, and deferring to teammates.

It seemed like the then 20-year-old just didn’t know how powerful a force he could be.

His mentality and the way he played the game changed thanks to the arrival of Chris Paul in Phoenix.

Throughout the season, Ayton and Paul were seen having heated discussions as the All-Star veteran was doing his best to help expedite Ayton’s development.

Their work throughout the season, alongside a well-constructed roster, helped bring Phoenix to its first postseason appearance since the 2010 playoffs.

The Ayton that fans see now in the playoffs is a product of “CP3’s” mentorship.

“DominAyton” was key in closing out the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. Many thought that he would struggle with Anthony Davis and the Lakers’ bigs who can stretch the floor, but that wasn’t the case at all.

Capable of guarding positions one through five, Ayton was more than comfortable in switches, a very important part of his development.

He averaged a double-double with 15.8 points and 10.7 rebounds. Most interesting for him in those six games was that he shot at 77.6% from the field, numbers that pointed towards star status.

Ayton played an even bigger part against the Denver Nuggets as he was matched up with league MVP Nikola Jokic.

Despite Jokic’s own diverse skillset that brought the Nuggets to the postseason in Jamal Murray’s absence, the Bahaman held his own and helped the Suns cruise to a sweep that also gave birth to the “Suns in 4” meme.

Now against the Clippers, the spotlight was on him as Paul was sidelined for the first two games because he tested positive for COVID-19.

Setting timely screens that allowed the Suns point guards to do a ton of damage in the pick-and-roll, he punished the Clippers time and time again whenever they went to their small-ball lineups.

Grabbing rebounds left and right, tip-ins, and timely blocks on the help side defense, Ayton made sure to make his presence felt on both ends of the floor.

He also had this beauty of a game-winner that will go down in Suns and NBA history as the “Valley-Oop”.

Game 3 marked the return of “CP3” from COVID protocols, but court rust definitely played a factor in his terrible shooting night.

The Suns would drop the game for their first loss in 10 games.

The Bahamian would go on to anchor the team in a terribly low-scoring Game 4 as he pulled down 22 rebounds (nine on the offensive boards) to go with his 19 points and four timely blocks.

Paul may be the Suns’ regular season MVP, but with how Ayton has been able to consistently perform and anchor his team in the playoffs on both sides of the ball, he’s the Suns’ playoff MVP.

The Suns will look to close out the series in Phoenix on Monday, June 28 at 9:00 pm ET.