Ayton offensive focal point?

[Blazers20]

How would Ayton be if the offense was focused on him and he was the Blazers #1 option? He shoots nearly 60% from the field and if the Blazers coaching staff could get him 20 shots per game would he be more engaged? Could he be a 25+ppg guy along with 12+rpg?

[Wizenheimer]

Ayton would get his points and Portland would lose, lose, and lose some more

he's not all-star talent and a team that features non-all-star talent as the #1 option is lottery bound. Especially when that talent is not a wing, doesn't pass well at all, and doesn't get to the FT line. Ayton is not Embiid

in the West:

Jokic
AD
Gobert
Kat
Sabonis
Wemby
Holmgren

he's in the running for 8th best center, in one conference. And he'd be in a group with Sengun, Valunciunas, Nurkic, Gafford, Lively, Zubac.. Some of those guys are better than Ayton, when both ends of the floor are considered

[JRoy]

How would Ayton be if the offense was focused on him and he was the Blazers #1 option? He shoots nearly 60% from the field and if the Blazers coaching staff could get him 20 shots per game would he be more engaged? Could he be a 25+ppg guy along with 12+rpg?

Sounds great.

He can pump his stats some sucker team might trade for him and get POR a lot of Ls next year.

Love it.

If you want to win it’s not a great idea. He has very little bbiq for that role.

[Blazers20]

You don’t like players who shoot with high effiency? I don’t think Ayton will ever be a Jokic to create offense for others but if he can give you 25+ ppg and shooting 60% makes sense to me to get him shots.

[Wizenheimer]

You don’t like players who shoot with high effiency? I don’t think Ayton will ever be a Jokic to create offense for others but if he can give you 25+ ppg and shooting 60% makes sense to me to get him shots.

points/shot this season:

Grant 1.33
Jabari 1.25
Brogdon 1.24
Simons 1.24
Reath 1.24
Ayton 1.23
Blazer Team 1.19 (worst shooting team in NBA)

last season:

Dame 1.55
Watford 1.42
Grant 1.41
Nurkic 1.37
Hart 1.34
Simons 1.25

Ayton is empty calories

[Norm2953]

I don't mind Ayton but he has $69 million left on his contract and is eligible for a $125.5 million
extension for three more years.

I'm not a great Clingan fan but drafting him gives me hope that $125.5 million extension is paid by
another team

[JasonStern]

Nobody is maxing out Ayton after his current contract. And once he's on a $20M-30M contract, he'll go from "empty calories" to "solid role player".

I get that the team sucks right now, but I don't get the distaste for every player on the roster. Ayton can be a slightly above average big. Simons can be a smaller Jamal Crawford. That's just who they are. And there isn't a huge list of better players lining up to take their places.

[Blazers20]

I just really think Ayton is under utilized in the “new NBA” on the offensive end. I believe the Blazers would a better offensive team if he was utilized more if used in his comfort zones midrange and in.

[BlazersBroncos]

A non 3PT shooting C who doesn’t get to the line and is best shooting mid ranges jumpers is about the worst archetype you can find for a C.

Ayton is all filler no protein.

[Blazers20]

Why does he need shoot 3’s? If he can be effective and efficient 20 feet and in does it matter? What options does Portland have at the 5, Walker or Reath? I’d take my chances on Ayton.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

I just really think Ayton is under utilized in the “new NBA” on the offensive end. I believe the Blazers would a better offensive team if he was utilized more if used in his comfort zones midrange and in.

It's just not as easy as "get him more shots" because he doesn't create his own looks. Which means he depends on his teammates, which means he can only really be utilized when you have players who can both put enough pressure on the defense themselves to open up their teammates and that they are good and experienced enough to know when to pass it to Ayton. If we just clearly run the ball up and dump it to Ayton every time then 29 coaches in the NBA are going to tell their defense to focus on that as a predictable action and its going to create a ton of unnecessary turnovers because they know exactly what we intend to do. That means we have to pick and choose the right times to attack that way, which limits the quantity of shots Ayton can ever get.

I hate that what is lost in the "efficiency is king" type analysis is that analytics only ever tell you what happened they don't tell you why that happened and so the whole art of "how to actually create good looks" is entirely lost in that conversation. Sometimes you have to take "less efficient" shots because otherwise the defense can know and predict you all too easily. The best overall offense is one with a ton of variation and unpredictability which means you cannot just pick the most efficient option and try to hammer on it all game. Defenses are dynamic and the more you try and rely on something the more they will focus on taking that thing away.

All that is essentially to say players who are not able to create their own shot have a limit to the number of "good" shots they will ever be able to take.

[Norm2953]

I'd agree with Blazers20 to the extent it would be stupid if another Kareem appeared on the scene
to have him shoot 3's for just imagine Kareem playing with the 2016 GSW?

This is what Edey has been saying for while he can shoot from 3, why would anyone want him to. for
he's a dominant scorer in the painted area

[Pattycakes]

People really need to temper their expectations on DA and just make sure they’re actually giving him a fair shake here (not rolling the previous stigmas from his Phoenix tenure).

Reason I say this. Devin booker and cp3 are the two most well known… egotistical sissies (saving bannable replacement words) in the league.

Therefore, would you seriously care what they thought about him or his long term fit or potential. No. DA just doesn’t back down, they probably thought they could make him submissive and he clearly didn’t respond well there.

Now was his start here impressive? No. Neither was scoot. But by the third final portion of the season they both clearly looked like top young prospects in 20-25 game stretches and they seem to love playing with each other too.

DA probably avg like 23-14 much of that, Scott was like 20+, 8 rebounds, acceptable efficiency.

Like we’re in a blessed position, I really do not understand all the pessimism. People miss the treadmill and 1st round playoff losses that bad? Like let us suck a little for a year or two and then roll out a contender in 4 years. Simple.

Team didn’t even really tank last year until a certain point. They are putting out quality vets AND are practically the youngest team in the league at the same time. When we get Ron Holland and a solid backup center in a few weeks, trade Malcolm or Ant and/or Jerami for sexy picks.. extend anyone who needs it.. we come out next year with Scoot ready from day one. Shaedon and Ant healthier.

Basically got gifted Coumara, Banton and Reath as throwaways who can all be in our rotation for the indefinite winning or losing.

I’m sorry I said I’d take the off-season off but someone’s gotta say it. Be bullish people. We have more reasons too than bearish. Analyze it

[JRoy]

Coumara, Banton and Reath are fringe guys.

[Norm2953]

I think Camara is a solid role player but the problem with Portland is that they have a team full of these
guys who are role players.

Ayton is a solid, above average NBA center but he's overpaid for what he is and will only further be
overpaid in his next contract. Phoenix likely should have signed him prior to his entering RFA for a
contract similar to Nurk. The guy at least rebounds and like a lot of NBA guys, plays hard half the time
but is not a $35 million player that he's paid to be.

[Pattycakes]

I’ll make a random call and say DA hits closer to 19/12 avgs next year and then hits full form the following season after that w his first all star appearance. I just love the underdog and he fits the bill around here

[Skybox]

Feed him. He’s effective and engaged (on both ends?) if he’s given a big offensive. Takes pressure off of Scoot to take over, if he can focus on 2-man game with Ayton, and learn to make easy plays for both. Sharpe can get his own- I think he’s a stud SG.

Really- what do you have to lose? Maybe he blossoms and embraces team bball & defense. Maybe he inflates his numbers, takes a year off his deal and becomes tradable. Either way, winning is not the priority - so it’s worth a hard look at finding his ceiling, imo. He’s huge, skilled, agile & still very young. Maybe the kind of guy you can make playful challenges with…”for every block you get, we feed you 2 more post possessions “, “for every potential assist you recognize…”, “whenever you get 4 offensive rebounds, we take you to Dairy Queen after” etc…the last one worked beautifully with my son at the Y.

[JasonStern]

Ayton is a solid, above average NBA center but he's overpaid for what he is and will only further be
overpaid in his next contract.

Ayton is only overpaid because Indiana threw a max contract at him and called Phoenix's hand. That isn't going to happen next contract. Will the Blazers still overpay? Probably, given the Grant extension. But it won't be some max level contract that cripples the franchise. And if it is, it's because he earned it, which is also a win for the Blazers.

[Wizenheimer]

Portland's failures in the Olshey era were a result of Portland treating supporting cast like they were stars, and role players like thy were supporting cast

making Ayton the featured player is that kind of Olshey-level stupidity jacked up on steroids. It's repeating failures and not learning the obvious lessons. It's ignoring the undeniable NBA evolution. It's buying adjoining lots in Purgatory for above market value, moving in a pair of manufactured homes, and parking treadmills on the driveways. It's not dumb and dumber; it's dumber and dumbest

[Norm2953]

Ayton is a solid, above average NBA center but he's overpaid for what he is and will only further be
overpaid in his next contract.

Ayton is only overpaid because Indiana threw a max contract at him and called Phoenix's hand. That isn't going to happen next contract. Will the Blazers still overpay? Probably, given the Grant extension. But it won't be some max level contract that cripples the franchise. And if it is, it's because he earned it, which is also a win for the Blazers.

Phoenix dropped the ball when they did not extend him to a more reasonable deal prior to RFA and let
themselves open to a max contract offer.

Any future Ayton extension would have to start from his expiring contract, which means he'll get overpaid
but if I had to over pay for either Grant or Ayton, I'd pay Ayton for he at least rebounds and seems to be
developing a game with Scoot.

Overpay is all relative when Dallas will likely have to offer Luka his $367/5 extension and these NBA guys
will soon be in Ohtani territory when it comes to money. SA's future extension for Victor is going to massive.