(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns have suffered frustrating playoff losses in their three years with Chris Paul at the controls, but a major change is on the way.
They’re in the process of trading Paul and Landry Shamet for Bradley Beal, a three-time All-Star guard who will give them, at least on paper, something of a superteam.
However, this trade will further deplete their depth, something that was already a big problem after they traded for Kevin Durant in February.
Rumor has it that they may trade center Deandre Ayton in order to replenish some of that depth and give themselves a more balanced roster.
Many would argue that Ayton isn’t a star, but he does have the highest shooting percentage of any player who has averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds a game over the last five seasons, per StatMuse.
Deandre Ayton since being drafted in 2018:
16.7 PPG
10.4 RPG
59.7 FG%
The highest FG% of any player averaging 15/10 over the last 5 seasons. pic.twitter.com/tjKVv8HEpC
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 20, 2023
Ayton is a fantastic finisher in the paint, especially near the basket, and Phoenix often looks to set up him for easy baskets off the catch, especially off the pick-and-roll and other sequences that see him picked up by a smaller defender.
However, he isn’t a true one-on-one scoring threat, and his defense and rim protection have been a disappointment.
With Beal, Durant, and Devin Booker on board, the Suns don’t really need scoring from the center position — rather, they mostly need defense, rebounding and hustle there.
Those qualities are especially important considering that the road to the NBA Finals in the Western Conference will run through superstar center Nikola Jokic and the world champion Denver Nuggets for the foreseeable future.
The post Stat Backs Up The Star Power Of Deandre Ayton appeared first on The Cold Wire.