Deandre Ayton news and highlights

[MrMiyagi]

Wow. Mitchell Robinson looking like the real deal. The Knicks finally hitting on one.

Yeah, he's the only rookie with a TS% higher than Ayton also...though he's obviously not as good of scorer overall and doesn't play nearly the minutes.

Helluva draft class

Ain't that the truth. It's pretty crazy how great this rookie class has been.

[sunsbg]

My point wasn't that Ayton isn't playing with intensity or aggressiveness in those Booker/Ayton PnR situations (although he could set better screens), it was more that they haven't really connected at all. And it takes two to tango and Booker is the primary ball handler in those PnR set and he hasn't really been able to find Ayton despite Ayton rolling just as Tyson did.

Like yesterday with that play which ultimately ended up with Ayton posterising Bertans, it was initially off a very bad pass from Booker to Ayton. It's kind of weird and I think it's more Booker than Ayton. Even non-PG like Oladipo, Beal or McCollum would have connected with Ayton on a more consistent basis by now.

I completely agree. I expected much more from the Ayton/Booker combo. There is no explanation of Devin having a better chemistry with Chandler/Holmes and a player already labeled as bust in JJ doing much better feeding Deandre.

[76ciology]

Not here to troll. Just been checking rookies out.

Ayton
-1.8blk%
-Opponents FG% in shots 6ft or less is 2.4% better than their average when challeged by Ayton
- He's got good DFGAs though, so he looks mobile on D

[sunsbg]

Not here to troll. Just been checking rookies out.

Ayton
-1.8blk%
-Opponents FG% in shots 6ft or less is 2.4% better than their average when challeged by Ayton
- He's got good DFGAs though, so he looks mobile on D

His D mentor is obviously Bender - stay with your man and don't do anything excessive. At least this kind of defense is not leading to foul trouble.

[Saberestar]

Not here to troll. Just been checking rookies out.

Ayton
-1.8blk%
-Opponents FG% in shots 6ft or less is 2.4% better than their average when challeged by Ayton
- He's got good DFGAs though, so he looks mobile on D

Yeah, he needs to improve his shot blocking ability and overall defense, but other than that he has been GREAT.

In his last game against the Spurs he did not block any shot but his defense was really really good, so he is improving.

[bwgood77]

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[Frank Lee]

How long before we realize that Ayton is much better suited at the 4 ? A few more game from SheAndre and I'll be there. No crime in that BTW....He is kind of like Isaac in Orlando. He just looks more comfortable on the perimeter, and wouldnt have to anchor the middle on D.... which he clearly has trouble doing.

[Fo-Real]

How long before we realize that Ayton is much better suited at the 4 ? A few more game from SheAndre and I'll be there. No crime in that BTW....He is kind of like Isaac in Orlando. He just looks more comfortable on the perimeter, and wouldnt have to anchor the middle on D.... which he clearly has trouble doing.

Then rid Mia of salary and take on Whiteside/Dragic for Ariza, Anderson, Bender and Daniels in a salary dump and play Ayton and Whiteside together. takes 28 mil off their next years salary.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

[bwgood77]

How long before we realize that Ayton is much better suited at the 4 ? A few more game from SheAndre and I'll be there. No crime in that BTW....He is kind of like Isaac in Orlando. He just looks more comfortable on the perimeter, and wouldnt have to anchor the middle on D.... which he clearly has trouble doing.

Only until he shows he can hit the 3. He really needs to play 5. We need to play small mostly. If we end up with Zion he might actually end up being the better shot blocker, even though he weight 270 at 6'6 because he has more will and determination and a dog fight mentality in him.

Everyone knew Ayton's low shot block rate and IQ on help/team defense would hurt him which is why some ranked him 4 or maybe 5. With Jaren and Carter so good defensively and already showing they can hit the 3, they really help their team's D. Ayton is averaging like .7 bpg. Jackson had 3 yesterday I think and hit a 3.

Even his rebounding has looked worse which I thought was easily his best, but still over 10 a game, so if he can at least score on a 62% TS% and rebound in the double digits, it still gives us our most efficient offensive player, slightly ahead of Warren right now at 61%. Book is down near 54% or something like that, below league avg, or at least what is was last year.

[lilfishi22]

It's a sad state of affairs if that was the case. The guy who everyone gave an excuse for his rim protection as being due to him being played out of position in college is now playing in his 'natural' position and still giving us very little in the way of rim protection. Now the narrative is that he was in fact playing out of position now as a C in the NBA.

[8on]

We are asking a lot of a 20 year old. He’s having a historic rookie season. Patience, maybe, if that’s even required? 16/10 with absurd efficiency.

It’s not like we’re talking about the Kandi Man or Tsvishlishtsikizi. He needs to figure out where to put his feet, and Igor is probably addressing more significant problems at the moment.

I’m guessing Ayton will work with Hakeem over the summer. Maybe his defense isn’t going to be there overnight. Look at rookie Durant. It’s OK, guys. He really is a beast. He’s just not a great defender yet. That’s OK.

[8on]

It would be pretty bad if Ayton passed Booker in WS (for their careers) as a rookie. It is possible.

[lilfishi22]

We are asking a lot of a 20 year old. He’s having a historic rookie season. Patience, maybe, if that’s even required? 16/10 with absurd efficiency.

It’s not like we’re talking about the Kandi Man or Tsvishlishtsikizi. He needs to figure out where to put his feet, and Igor is probably addressing more significant problems at the moment.

I’m guessing Ayton will work with Hakeem over the summer. Maybe his defense isn’t going to be there overnight. Look at rookie Durant. It’s OK, guys. He really is a beast. He’s just not a great defender yet. That’s OK.

He has historic raw stats. Also historic lack of impact.

We should be patient with him but as of right now, what he's giving us offensively is largely negated by his defense. Is Hakeem a good teacher defensively? I always thought he was a guy you go to if you want to get better offensively

[bwgood77]

We are asking a lot of a 20 year old. He’s having a historic rookie season. Patience, maybe, if that’s even required? 16/10 with absurd efficiency.

It’s not like we’re talking about the Kandi Man or Tsvishlishtsikizi. He needs to figure out where to put his feet, and Igor is probably addressing more significant problems at the moment.

I’m guessing Ayton will work with Hakeem over the summer. Maybe his defense isn’t going to be there overnight. Look at rookie Durant. It’s OK, guys. He really is a beast. He’s just not a great defender yet. That’s OK.

He has historic raw stats. Also historic lack of impact.

We should be patient with him but as of right now, what he's giving us offensively is largely negated by his defense. Is Hakeem a good teacher defensively? I always thought he was a guy you go to if you want to get better offensively

I don't think he is having a historic rookie season. I can run a query but I am betting a lot of rookies put up his pts/rebs over the years. Probably good ones and is in good company but I don't know if I'd call it historic. I don't know that any or many have put up Doncic's stats.

[lilfishi22]

We are asking a lot of a 20 year old. He’s having a historic rookie season. Patience, maybe, if that’s even required? 16/10 with absurd efficiency.

It’s not like we’re talking about the Kandi Man or Tsvishlishtsikizi. He needs to figure out where to put his feet, and Igor is probably addressing more significant problems at the moment.

I’m guessing Ayton will work with Hakeem over the summer. Maybe his defense isn’t going to be there overnight. Look at rookie Durant. It’s OK, guys. He really is a beast. He’s just not a great defender yet. That’s OK.

He has historic raw stats. Also historic lack of impact.

We should be patient with him but as of right now, what he's giving us offensively is largely negated by his defense. Is Hakeem a good teacher defensively? I always thought he was a guy you go to if you want to get better offensively

I don't think he is having a historic rookie season. I can run a query but I am betting a lot of rookies put up his pts/rebs over the years. Probably good ones and is in good company but I don't know if I'd call it historic. I don't know that any or many have put up Doncic's stats.

I ran the stats already. The only thing that puts him in a special category is his passing. There have been 17 or so rookie bigs who have put up at least 15/10. Rookies who put up 15/10 are HOF'ers like the Admiral, Wilt, Shaq, Duncan, Kareem, Hakeem, Mutumbo, Mourning (he's a HOF'er right?) and players like Emeka Okafor, KAT and Blake. It's a nice group to be in but 15/10 doesn't really jump out the page, it's really near the bottom of that list when it comes to the wow factor and he's also had by far the lowest win share. What does put him in more unique company is his assist. Rookie bigs who put up 15/10/2 include, Blake, TD, Kareem and Walt Bellamy. So 4 other guys and he had the 2nd highest AST%

So if you have a fairly low bar for what's considered historic, then yeah, he's putting up historic rookie number

[bwgood77]

He has historic raw stats. Also historic lack of impact.

We should be patient with him but as of right now, what he's giving us offensively is largely negated by his defense. Is Hakeem a good teacher defensively? I always thought he was a guy you go to if you want to get better offensively

I don't think he is having a historic rookie season. I can run a query but I am betting a lot of rookies put up his pts/rebs over the years. Probably good ones and is in good company but I don't know if I'd call it historic. I don't know that any or many have put up Doncic's stats.

I ran the stats already. The only thing that puts him in a special category is his passing. There have been 17 or so rookie bigs who have put up at least 15/10. Rookies who put up 15/10 are HOF'ers like the Admiral, Wilt, Shaq, Duncan, Kareem, Hakeem, Mutumbo, Mourning (he's a HOF'er right?) and players like Emeka Okafor, KAT and Blake. It's a nice group to be in but 15/10 doesn't really jump out the page, it's really near the bottom of that list when it comes to the wow factor and he's also had by far the lowest win share. What does put him in more unique company is his assist. Rookie bigs who put up 15/10/2 include, Blake, TD, Kareem and Walt Bellamy. So 3 other guys and he had the 2nd highest AST%

So if you have a fairly low bar for what's considered historic, then yeah, he's putting up historic rookie number

The good thing is we have played one of the toughest schedules so far, and am guessing after this road trip it will rank as the toughest, so things should get easier overall after that.

But ultimately the team with the worst record in the NBA by default usually plays the toughest schedule if they are in the west. And given the weakness of the east, you can have like just a bottom five record and still face the toughest schedule if you base it on records of opponents played.

[8on]

15/10 doesn’t jump off the page.....he can shoot from the elbow, top of the key, jam it in the paint over anyone and pass out it trouble, is our best player, and we don’t get him the ball enough, and he’s not having a historic rookie season?

You guys are asking him to be fully polished on day 1. News flash: AD wasn’t, Towns wasn’t, Cousins wasn’t, Embiid wasn’t, no one is. It takes a few years. He’s awfully impressive at this point in his career.

[lilfishi22]

15/10 doesn’t jump off the page.....he can shoot from the elbow, top of the key, jam it in the paint over anyone and pass out it trouble, is our best player, and we don’t get him the ball enough, and he’s not having a historic rookie season?

You guys are asking him to be fully polished on day 1. News flash: AD wasn’t, Towns wasn’t, Cousins wasn’t, Embiid wasn’t, no one is. It takes a few years. He’s awfully impressive at this point in his career.

He's got a bunch of good skills but it's not really historic and no one expected a polished product. Not saying he's not impressive because he is and I'm a patient guy so I'm OK to wait a couple of seasons before passing judgement on him as a draft pick

[JMac1]

We are asking a lot of a 20 year old. He’s having a historic rookie season. Patience, maybe, if that’s even required? 16/10 with absurd efficiency.

It’s not like we’re talking about the Kandi Man or Tsvishlishtsikizi. He needs to figure out where to put his feet, and Igor is probably addressing more significant problems at the moment.

I’m guessing Ayton will work with Hakeem over the summer. Maybe his defense isn’t going to be there overnight. Look at rookie Durant. It’s OK, guys. He really is a beast. He’s just not a great defender yet. That’s OK.

Ayton has been good enough as a rookie. His rim protection stinks...effing yuck! However, everything else is as advertised. Even though he doesn't do enough in the post, he has an up and under and a solid jump hook game. We are not using him to his fullest potential on O and I'm okay with that right now. He has shown that he can play tough, it looks more like he is choosing his spots, because he is afraid of fouling. Once he starts getting respect from the refs like Embiid, I am sure he will start dominating the paint more on both sides of the ball. He is constantly playing with his hands back as if he doesn't want to foul and you can see it on his face.

I could care less about Carter and JJJ, not in the same class as Ayton.