No. 3 – DeAndre Ayton, Phoenix Suns
Success has been hard to come by in Phoenix over the years, but after a fantastic end to the year last season and after some big-time additions in the offseason, the Suns look like a legit playoff team in the Western Conference. If the Suns do make the playoffs, they would snap a 10-season playoff drought, the longest in franchise history. Will Deandre Ayton be a part of that though?
After seeing this team come together in the NBA Bubble last season and Devin Booker proving that he is an All-Star talent, the Suns’ management went out and brought in another big-time talent to pair with him. The Suns were able to trade for future Hall-of-Fame point guard, Chris Paul, this offseason, making this organization a very talented and hungry team in the Western Conference.
They also brought in veteran forward Jae Crowder, who has been instrumental to their success so far this season. The Suns are currently 7-5 and look like one of the better teams in the Western Conference at full-strength, so why would they want to shake things up with their roster?
Well, DeAndre Ayton, a guy who was expected to take a big leap forward this season with Chris Paul as his point guard has taken a massive step back. His offensive production is way down this season and his points per game are down about 29% from last season.
Deandre Ayton is only averaging 12.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.0 block and shooting 55.8% from the floor in about 30.6 minutes per game for the Suns this season. That is not good enough for the former #1 overall pick and as a result, could result in him being traded if he does not snap out of his funk and look like the dominant big man he was last year.
If Phoenix is going to be a legit playoff team in the West, they will need Deandre Ayton to step up and be one of the better centers in the entire NBA. If he cannot achieve this, then teams like the Lakers and Jazz who have legit All-Star centers will pick the Suns apart.
Chris Paul and Devin Booker can do anything they want on the court, but unless DeAndre Ayton steps up and produces, their chances of being legit are slim. If he continues to struggle, the Phoenix Suns could ultimately look to trade Ayton away for two or three key role players who can contribute immediately, as well as some draft picks.
It is unlikely that the Suns would give up on Deandre Ayton this soon, especially after everything they invested in this offseason, but his struggles in Phoenix are definitely something to keep tabs on through the year.
