thamadkant wrote:bwgood77 wrote:lilfishi22 wrote:I mean can we just be happy we won this game, DA had a great game and Book is back?
Yeah, I'm happy. It's just even in your comments you have to throw in some sort of disingenous jab at Ayton that takes away from it a bit, saying he plays well once every 5 games.
Look at his last 5 games for an example. 6 games ago he did have that "terrible" 19pt/20 reb 10 FTA worst game ever going 6/20, but since then he's looked solid and great quite often. And in many other games this season. Neither him or Bridges looked too good most of the stretch where they were the only two starters available, but they took a lot of heat then.
Here is the game log since you are usually working.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aytonde01/gamelog/2023You will note there are a number of bad games in there, but not 4 out of 5..or even close. More like 3 out of 10 are subpar and most of those coming off injury and/or during our decimated team stretch.
Man, you don't have to justify the Ayton haters about them saying Ayton plays well once every 5 games. Everyone who watches the suns would know Ayton is one of the most consistent players. When he gets the ball early and often he will put up 25 points or more. When he doesn't, he just gets his normal 15 to 17 points a game.
His 6 for 20 game was a super rare occasion and anyone who watched that game would see he was missing shots he hits 90% rate for the last 4 years or so... and some he just rushed. He wasn't himself basically. But 20 rebounds showed he was trying to contribute at other aspects.
And the funniest thing to me is that when Suns fans say Ayton can do this every game. As in put up 30 points and 15 rebounds a game. Basically he can be Giannis. Except that Giannis is the focal point of Bucks offense and he gets a lot of time isolating up to to get one on one against defenders with shooters around him... basically Giannis puts up 30 a night being a shot creator with the ball in his hands....
So the Suns fans who think Ayton should do this every night are being super unrealistic with such a high bar for Ayton. Who rarely has opportunities to go isolation against single defenders nor does he control the ball during possessions. Ayton plays Prime Horford's role on the Suns basically... he is a facilitating big who decoys inside to free up the perimeter. In order for him to put 30 and 15 every night at that role he the Suns system would need to be dismantled and have a half court inside outside approach with Ayton getting screens so he gets one on one down low and shooters spreading the space. It would mean CP3 and Booker becomes a 3D catch and shoot player. It would also mean Ayton needs to flop more to get calls.
Basically it's illogical to expect Ayton to put up 30 15 in the suns system and his role as 3rd option.
20/11 at super efficient FG% and facilitating the offense for Booker and others while being a positive defender at worst is Ayton's call. He could get to 22ppg if he become clear 2nd scoring option with 17 FGA minimum... but it would not be in this Monty's current system.
Point is... the bar for Ayton is unfair in a way but he was picked 1 over Luka and that fact matters to some suns fans... that and he is paid 33M a year. What isn't factored in is that Ayton is easily worth 33M on many teams and only worth sometimes on the Suns due to the system. But that sometimes is likely to come playoffs so it's worth it.
