Moderators: bwgood77, lilfishi22, Qwigglez
DRK wrote:Yeah this guy is a beast. His defence is an anchor for us, and hes so important for our shooters because he rolls so hard to the rim.
Eating crow, but he looks like a completely different player. Getting 20/10's every night and mking it look easy against AD and Jokic.
Bogyo wrote:DRK wrote:Yeah this guy is a beast. His defence is an anchor for us, and hes so important for our shooters because he rolls so hard to the rim.
Eating crow, but he looks like a completely different player. Getting 20/10's every night and mking it look easy against AD and Jokic.
Like that. Not sure what caused him to turn on the switch for the playoffs and keep it on, but whatever he is eating, keep at it.
sunsbg wrote:Waiting for creative nicknames from specific persons to replace SheAndre and DeYawnDre.
Biff wrote:I think it's just that Ayton was sandbagging it and this is what he has been capable of all along. That has always been my suspicion and that's why I've been so critical of this kid. He has the physical tools to be the best center in the league, or at least right there with the best, so when he has stretches where he just coasts and puts up 8 and 6, it's beyond frustrating.
But the playoffs have a bonfire right under his ass and he is playing like his pants are on fire for the first time in his NBA career. It's great to see.
bwgood77 wrote:Biff wrote:I think it's just that Ayton was sandbagging it and this is what he has been capable of all along. That has always been my suspicion and that's why I've been so critical of this kid. He has the physical tools to be the best center in the league, or at least right there with the best, so when he has stretches where he just coasts and puts up 8 and 6, it's beyond frustrating.
But the playoffs have a bonfire right under his ass and he is playing like his pants are on fire for the first time in his NBA career. It's great to see.
I think it was a bit of information overload this season which may have been hard to digest all at once, but I think he works hard, listens, doesn't take criticism or constructive criticism personally (and has said as much) and watches a lot of film.
I don't remember a Suns player improving as fast in his first 3 years after watching them in college and has a rookie than him. He went from being dominated by 13th seeded Buffalo in the NCAA tourney and being the worst defensive big in the NBA as a rookie, to one of the most versatile big.
I've never been worried about his offense. I saw enough of that in the past and this year to know he can drive, finish, have moves with a fadeaway, hook shot, etc, and he has even cut most of the midrange out of his game and just worked on finishing inside and short range shots he is good at.
I also think he is an underrated screener, as the point of screens is to get the guard open and he nearly leads the NBA as a 3rd year player in screen assists. People think of the hard screens which typically come when a player is running downcourt, or getting contact, but if a player has to run around you it still allows Book or Paul who are usually guarded well, to get open for that quick midrange shot.
And if you don't have contact, it's also easier to roll quickly.
The main thing he could add to allow more driving lanes, is a 3 pt shot, and possibly surveying the floor like Jokic does at the top of the key as he has good court vision and his a solid passer.
Fo-Real wrote:
I GASPED!! Thought he hurt his leg on the landing!
Biff wrote:bwgood77 wrote:Biff wrote:I think it's just that Ayton was sandbagging it and this is what he has been capable of all along. That has always been my suspicion and that's why I've been so critical of this kid. He has the physical tools to be the best center in the league, or at least right there with the best, so when he has stretches where he just coasts and puts up 8 and 6, it's beyond frustrating.
But the playoffs have a bonfire right under his ass and he is playing like his pants are on fire for the first time in his NBA career. It's great to see.
I think it was a bit of information overload this season which may have been hard to digest all at once, but I think he works hard, listens, doesn't take criticism or constructive criticism personally (and has said as much) and watches a lot of film.
Sure, the talent has always been there and it's clear he's been working hard with Mark Bryant but he has had too many stretches where he disappears. Maybe it was entirely a confidence problem but it seemed to me to be a motor issue as well but maybe the motor is the result of him not trusting himself... Keeping motivated and engaged during the season will be the challenge.
ImNotMcDiSwear wrote:Biff wrote:bwgood77 wrote:
I think it was a bit of information overload this season which may have been hard to digest all at once, but I think he works hard, listens, doesn't take criticism or constructive criticism personally (and has said as much) and watches a lot of film.
Sure, the talent has always been there and it's clear he's been working hard with Mark Bryant but he has had too many stretches where he disappears. Maybe it was entirely a confidence problem but it seemed to me to be a motor issue as well but maybe the motor is the result of him not trusting himself... Keeping motivated and engaged during the season will be the challenge.
One thing I think a lot of people don't realize is that while you can change and grow as a player and a person, every person's mind and body are different. Some people play with a high motor because they can't not play that way. Jokic, for instance, has a weird motor - good, but weird. Unpredictable, surprising, selective. And sometimes very lazy. And I don't think he can play any other way. That's just who he is.
Booker just this year started giving 100% on defense (rather than alternate between 80% and 110% as he did in years past), so it's not like you can't change, but very few players give 100% effort every game. Paul doesn't. LeBron doesn't. Kobe, Duncan, Bird, none of them. It's okay. There are other ways to be good at basketball, and it's just not practical for guys to kill themselves on every possession, night in, night out, all season, and still be at or near their best as they approach the finish line.
Optimized Ayton plays a super high-energy game, as he did for most of last night. But what was most impressive to me was his composure, hitting all those quick little jump shots. Those are not easy shots - especially in a high-stakes, full-speed game. The spotlight's getting bigger and bigger with each passing game, and DA just keeps getting better and better. If he gets much more efficient, he'll start climbing that all-time EFG% list. Of course, he may never approach Bridges, who looks like he'll have a shot at being one of the all-time greats, but that's another thread altogether...
How far Phoenix can go this postseason may depend on Ayton’s growth with disrupting offenses. The Suns rarely struggle to score points of their own, so there is ample value in Ayton adding so much to the team’s defensive efforts.
