The Golden State Warriors have seen a couple of different centers prove their worth this offseason. Deandre Ayton on the NBA Finals-making Phoenix Suns is one of them. Ayton has been dominant.
Ayton isn’t a sharpshooter, but his ability to tame Nikola Jokic was the difference in their sweep over the Nuggets. He also played a huge role in their six-game victory over the Los Angeles Lakers and was also impactful against the Clippers.
Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton has shown to the Golden State Warriors the short-term peak of former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman.
Throughout the postseason, Ayton has averaged 16.2 points per game. It’s not just that he scoring at a rate better than what he was in the regular season, but more importantly, that he’s doing it efficiently.
Ayton has shot over 70 percent from the field this postseason.
On top of that, he’s averaging 11.8 rebounds per game. The Suns are better with their former No. 1 overall pick on the court. The 6-foot-11 big man isn’t a shooter, and he’s helping redefine what the center can help do.
The modern NBA center has a few different ways to be dominant, but we’ve seen that the most crucial part to being a real threat is on the defensive end. Ayton can switch onto guards and not get flown by.
That’s been one of the more impressive storylines that has made the Suns defense invincible. Yes, Wiseman, for the Warriors, needs to learn how to be as efficient as Ayton has been, but when you’re on a team with superstar talent, it’s more about being able to defend at a high level.
Wiseman should be able to learn to do just that, and Ayton’s play may have saved him from an offseason trade.
However, Wiseman didn’t look great as a defender this past season, recording 5.2 fouls per 36 minutes. Ayton has averaged under 3.5 personal fouls per 36 minutes in both each of his three seasons in the league and during this postseason run.
That’s one main area where Wiseman can improve, and it’s what he must take away from Ayton’s dominant postseason. Ultimately, Ayton showing how the modern-day big man can be an asset in postseason basketball is important for Wiseman.
Be efficient and learn to not foul — that’s what Wiseman needs to learn from Ayton and showcase improvement in next season.