bwgood77 wrote:A little bit of the latest from Gina:Williams has already noticed Ayton’s added muscle via weight-room sessions with the strength and conditioning staff. On the court, Ayton has worked with assistant coach Mark Bryant on getting a little more arc on his jumper, which will help him eventually add a 3-pointer to his game. Ayton has run scripted plays. He has observed Baynes, whose hard screen-setting and sharp communication as a defensive anchor are areas the Suns staff wants Ayton to improve.
And after most players have left the practice court, Ayton plays in pickup games with non-rotation teammates along with assistant and player-development coaches such as Steve Blake and Willie Green. Following a Friday night practice in Minneapolis prior to a win against the Timberwolves, Ayton and rookie point guard Ty Jerome (who is currently recovering from a sprained ankle) were the last players on the Target Center floor.
“He was killing it,” second-year guard Elie Okobo said of Ayton’s work in those pickup games. “He was playing like Deandre. He was bullying people, playing strong, dunking the ball, shooting 3s, playing with a high energy. It’s good to see him working hard and being ready.”
Added Baynes: “He’s the biggest piece of this team — literally. He’s definitely gonna help us when he comes back. It’s just maintaining his focus right now. … taking advantage of his time that he has right now to key in on being a student of the game and also getting his body right so there’s no digression in that area when he does come back.”
That's awesome honestly! I really hope that they can turn this otherwise negative situation into a positive situation from his potential growth. And threes are encouraging too. But I really hope that he comes back with a chip on his shoulder most of all. Hopefully blocking shots and setting hard screens, and a lot more aggressive dunks too.
