NBA News: Suns' Deandre Ayton Further Proving Why He Deserves Max Contract

The Phoenix Suns are holding on for dear life to the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference, and it may look that way for the rest of the season thanks to the level of play that center Deandre Ayton has been showing.

Comparing him to the likes of dominant centers like Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson and Patrick Ewing would be doing a disservice to those NBA legends as Ayton’s unique skillset does not carry shades of their presence in the paint, but that of Houston Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon.

His unique mix of footwork and skills in the post, most notably his jump hook, has proven to be an invaluable weapon that the Suns have utilized to perfection this season.

Currently, Ayton is averaging 16.5 points, 10 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in just around 29 minutes of action in 40 appearances, making him one of the most potent big men in the modern NBA.

Since the Suns traded for Chris Paul ahead of last season, Ayton was one of the greatest beneficiaries of the all-time great point guard’s tutelage.

Ayton’s numbers, especially his scoring average, took a slight hit when Paul came as he lost some touches because the latter needed to distribute the ball to their other teammates to get them going.

However, he did improve in one category and that is his field goal percentage.

Whether it was through lobs, offensive rebounds, or creating his own shot in the paint, Ayton’s efficiency jumped up from 54.6% in the 2019-20 season to an eye-popping 62.6% the following season.

He has since upped his field goal percentage to 63.9 this season; an incremental improvement, yes, but an important development that has helped carry the Suns to the best record in the league.

Ayton was a crucial piece of the puzzle during the Suns’ first playoff appearance in 11 years as he anchored the team’s defense against the likes of last year’s MVP Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis based on the stats.

The Bahamian did have his shortcomings against the more physical Milwaukee Bucks team led by eventual Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, though the fact that he has taken on the challenge presented to him since he was drafted is worthy of praise.

Ayton does still carry some of the characteristics that his critics have noted in the past, like his tendency to get dragged out of the paint and lack of tenacity in fighting for 50/50 balls, but they are all correctable if given the right emphasis during practices.

According to the subscription-based stats website Cleaning the Glass, Ayton ranks in the 85th percentile in terms of effective field goal percentage with the majority of his points coming from just inside the free-throw line which puts him in the 95th percentile from that distance.

Many big men have relied heavily on developing a three-point shot once they enter the league to become more versatile and Ayton is slowly rolling out that aspect of his game.

A Reddit user noted that Ayton is currently averaging 36 percent from beyond the arc on 0.3 attempts per game and it might be a hidden weapon that he uses more during the postseason.

His draftmates--which includes teammate Mikal Bridges--have all gotten their lucrative extensions this past offseason, while Ayton failed to secure his five-year, $172 million max deal as team owner Robert Sarver was reportedly hesitant to give it the green light.

With Paul projected to miss the remainder of the regular season, three-time All-Star Devin Booker will need to take up the mantle of main playmaker and have Ayton be more involved in the flow of the offense.

If the Suns repeat last season’s success, it is almost a no-brainer that general manager James Jones will double down on Ayton as their center of the future and convince Sarver to pay the 23-year-old the max.