Game 2: Phoenix Suns (1-0) @ Sacramento Kings (1-0) l Saturday l 8:00pm l FSAZ

[Revived]

Read on Twitter

EJ calling out Ayton again. I feel like he talks about it in every game about how Ayton isn’t physical enough and he’s gotta be more aggressive. It’s been 3 years now, he’s gotta just realize he’s not gonna change his mentality and it’s just who he is.

And Chambers calling out Ayton’s effort on TV straight up is

[Saberestar]

Have to question player development on this team if Ayton regresses offensively and doesn't score 20ppg this season with CP3 running the point.

It is a player's resposability. No need to treat them like they do not own their destiny as a professional players.

Bender, Jackson, Len and Chriss are and were terrible NBA players...nothing has changed. We did a mistake taken them too high in the draft. Just that.

Ayton is more difficult to evaluate because he is/was a good player since his first day in the league but you do not know how great he can be in the next future.

All depends on him, it is all about his desire and will. He has all the tools...the coaches, the teammates, the new lab, the city...everything.

I am not down on Ayton after these first couple of games. His biggest problem has been foul trouble, and some of those fouls were ****.

The Kings did a good job defending the paint in his rolls but we could not take advantage scoring from outside. 11/44 from three.

[vtime]

He took 5 shots. It’s kind of in Paul to make sure a talent like that gets touches. And Monty Williams. If he keeps having games like that then the bubble vibes are gone and you just have an expensive backcourt with multi year extensions coming for Ayton and Bridges in 18 months.

[Flying Colors]

No more excuses for Ayton really, we went and got one of greatest PG to ever play the game to spoon feed him points, if CP3 can’t get it out of him, then nobody can.

[Revived]

Anyone notice how Booker got called for traveling/double dribble/carry 4 times yesterday?

So weird to get that called 4 times in one game in the NBA for any player (because the refs don’t usually care about that ish unless it’s too obvious) but to call it 4 times on one of the league’s stars was just bizarre.

[sunsbg]

Have to question player development on this team if Ayton regresses offensively and doesn't score 20ppg this season with CP3 running the point.

Or the system.

So basically everything but the player himself lol.

Yes, even with Ayton not being what people expected if he doesn't score 20ppg this season there is something wrong with the coaching/system (Booker being a big part of the system). He should cruise to 20ppg without being the most motivated person out there only based on skills and being assisted by Paul. He's been aggressive so far though. It's the 25+ppg, that will require much effort out of him.

In addition, finding the right approach to the players (bench them if required) and putting them in position to succeed is also part of coaching.

[sasquatchBob]

He took 5 shots. It’s kind of in Paul to make sure a talent like that gets touches. And Monty Williams. If he keeps having games like that then the bubble vibes are gone and you just have an expensive backcourt with multi year extensions coming for Ayton and Bridges in 18 months.

I wouldn't call Ayton an offensive talent. And I think the team is actually looking for him. He's just not good at putting himself in the right spots. And if he's not at the right spot his offensive ability is not good enough to generate something on it's own.

[NTB]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[Maze]

Have we ever considered the possibility that maybe Ayton isn't this athletic monster we thought he was? he is agile and quick for a big man but he doesn't seem explosive at all and he has slow acceleration time, like his pick and roll with Paul is slow as hell, he has very slow reaction time, takes a long time to start rolling to the basket. Gortat is 10 times better than him at pick and roll.

I've been saying Ayton's athleticism is overstated.I think people were fooled by his combine numbers.I've yet to see of those numbers translate to the basketball court during games.He's closer to Patrick Ewing/Al Jefferson level athleticism.Opposed to guys like David Robinson/Amare/Kemp or even Deandre Jordan.Hell, I don't even think he's Andre Drummond's level, in game.I believe he posted a vertical over 40 inches at the combine.I don't see it.He may end up being a very poor man's Patrick Ewing.

[NTB]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[NTB]

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=PhoenixSuns

[Bogyo]

Wow, are we really giving fluff jobs to the kings in the last 2 pages? I mean I get it, we have been traumatized in the last 10 years or so, but this is getting awkward a bit even for me, and I was not enamored with a lot of JJ's moves the past 2 years to say the least...

And I get it that the Kings can beat us if everything falls that way, but c'mon...

After I saw this comment yesterday I was sure we were losing this game. What a master of a jinx. SMH.

Bolded part right up there. These posts were not really about this one game, but about being pissed of how some have a lot of totally unrealistic views and expectations even here about the Suns, good or bad. It was downright comical in the first two pages. And I do not effing care if the Kings beat us the next 10 times we meet. They do not deserve that kind of praise, and we are a better team than them. Even CP said after the game: we expect to win these games. So I guess he'd agree with me if he was online here. Or he wouldn't have problems with comprehensive reading, like many here seem to have.

If someone does the exact opposite in the thread when we are playing the Lakers, I'll be equally pissed.


As for the game - it was one of those... 11/44 3PTs, 13FTA to their 33, Ayton's 5 FGA, bench terrible shooting, Monty playing that idiot instead of the rookie or Frank, et-effing-c... As bolded above - everything fell that way.

[King4Day]

Good to see this board finally agrees that Deandre Ayton is not our future center. Dude just doesn’t have it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I will still give him the benefit of the doubt. The entire system had to change because of Paul so I'll pass judgement after 20 or 30 games. But if things don't change, we'll have some decisions to make with him in the near future.

His body language is enough from me, doesn’t care.. never has, never will!! He will have a string of good games here and there but that’s pretty much it. Can’t see him being a consistent player in the NBA with the way he plays (lazy).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think Christian Wood is a good example of a big man developing later. That gives me hope.

[bhawk]

I will still give him the benefit of the doubt. The entire system had to change because of Paul so I'll pass judgement after 20 or 30 games. But if things don't change, we'll have some decisions to make with him in the near future.

His body language is enough from me, doesn’t care.. never has, never will!! He will have a string of good games here and there but that’s pretty much it. Can’t see him being a consistent player in the NBA with the way he plays (lazy).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think Christian Wood is a good example of a big man developing later. That gives me hope.

How much better would we be right now with Wood?

[Stark]

Blame is on Book as much as Ayton. He is insanely careless with the ball and a defensive liability. When Paul is playing really good against a mediocre team we should generally get the W.

I just don't think these guys like playing basketball together. There might be some sort of tension because of expectations this year too. I hope it doesn't turn into a locker room drama at one point.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using RealGM mobile app

[Mulhollanddrive]

Rotation wise tomorrow I'd bring in:

Moore for Carter
Smith for Jones

[bwoolf2]

Have to question player development on this team if Ayton regresses offensively and doesn't score 20ppg this season with CP3 running the point.

I don't think we will need to wait till end of the season to know that. Its non-existent. Josh Jackson, Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender, the list goes on.

It's 2 games into this season and every other player you mentioned was under a different staff, and somehow Bridges, cam Johnson, Payne and others were all ignored.

I do think they need to push Ayton to the point of breaking him and you either break thru or have a broken player you move on from but either way you know.

[SuperSunsFan]

Have we ever considered the possibility that maybe Ayton isn't this athletic monster we thought he was? he is agile and quick for a big man but he doesn't seem explosive at all and he has slow acceleration time, like his pick and roll with Paul is slow as hell, he has very slow reaction time, takes a long time to start rolling to the basket. Gortat is 10 times better than him at pick and roll.

I've been saying Ayton's athleticism is overstated.I think people were fooled by his combine numbers.I've yet to see of those numbers translate to the basketball court during games.He's closer to Patrick Ewing/Al Jefferson level athleticism.Opposed to guys like David Robinson/Amare/Kemp or even Deandre Jordan.Hell, I don't even think he's Andre Drummond's level, in game.I believe he posted a vertical over 40 inches at the combine.I don't see it.He may end up being a very poor man's Patrick Ewing.

Ayton's athleticism is similar to players like Odom or Diaw, they were nimble but not explosive enough to allow them to be high flying like Griffin or Jordan or even kenyon Martin. That is why they gave fans impression that they don't work hard because we expect high works to be shown as aggressiveness, which they couldn't demonstrate because they lack the explosiveness to appear as aggressive

Paul truly exposed Ayton's inability to play the PnR effectively, before we thought he couldn't do it because we didn't have a good PnR point to bring it out of him, but with Paul who is regarded as one of the greatest at that in history if Ayton couldn't even be a good roll man with Paul he simply just couldn't do it for whatever reasons.

[Bogyo]

Blame is on Book as much as Ayton. He is insanely careless with the ball and a defensive liability. When Paul is playing really good against a mediocre team we should generally get the W.

I just don't think these guys like playing basketball together. There might be some sort of tension because of expectations this year too. I hope it doesn't turn into a locker room drama at one point.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using RealGM mobile app

Nope, Book had an A+ game compared to that little mitch. Maybe the tension is that everyone on the inside realized by now how we are going nowhere with this mental midget. If he can't play the PnR with CP, then what is he good at on the basketball court?

[irish22022]

I think Smith is a better pick and roll option than Jones off the bench. Jones makes a lot of bonehead mistakes out there. He's fine, but I suspect he'll play himself out of a job in a month or so. Which is fine for smith, good for him to grind for minutes.

Ayton clearly the biggest disappointment so far. I seem to be the only person not surprised he took 5 shots. I wouldn't pass to that guy either. CP3 gave him a few free dunks in a row that he messed up. I'm not sure what his role will be, but it def won't be one that warrants a big contract next off-season.