FLAGSTAFF, AZ — The Phoenix Suns enter the 2018-19 season with plenty of new faces, headlined by No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton and new head coach Igor Kokoskov. The first two days of training camp have been heavy teaching days, as Kokoskov installs his system on both ends of the floor.
With Devin Booker working his way back from a hand injury (he’s been going through non-contact practices playing only with his left hand), Ayton is easy to focus on during practice. As Kokoskov installs offensive sets, it’s easy to see why Ayton was a fairly easy selection with the top pick for Phoenix. The 7’1, 260 pound Ayton glides effortlessly around the court until it’s time to use that massive frame to set a punishing screen or finish a lob with a ferocious dunk.
His offensive instincts and ability are immediately recognizable, but the real questions for Ayton exist on the defensive end of the court. The physical tools are all there, but at 19 years old there’s still so much for him to learn on that end so he can harness those athletic gifts and turn himself into a defensive force.
Where on the offensive end of the court everything looks natural, even running a new play, it’s obvious on the defensive end that he’s thinking and trying. That’s a good thing, because it shows his commitment to getting better, but it also means he’s not moving as quickly or fluidly as he tries to figure out where he’s supposed to be and supposed to go next. This was apparent in Summer League as well, as he began his adjustment to the NBA game and the never-ending wave of pick-and-rolls he’ll be thrown into.
Kokoskov wants his centers to be the “defensive coordinators” on defense, a point that’s clearly been driven home to Ayton who echoed that sentiment when I asked him about how he feels about his defensive development from Summer League to early camp.
“Down low, dudes that’s down low really have to be the general. I’m my point guard and wings’ eyes,” Ayton said. “I gotta be vocal even when I’m tired. That’s what I’m learning now and something I’ve really added to my game and getting better at. When I’m tired I’m still communicating and trying to give the best directions out there possible. Verticality as well. Knowing when to jump, knowing when to stay on my feet as well, closing out on the wings. It’s stuff like that. Just really moving a lot, because everybody in the league switches now, so that’s what I’m working on. I’m not trying to be a liability on the court not trying to switch.”
The learning curve for Ayton, like most rookies, is steep on the defensive end coming to the NBA from college, but he’s in a good situation for it. The Suns’ timeline affords plenty of patience to young stars, and while the team defense might not be especially good, it’s hard to have picked a better mentor for Ayton on that end than former Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler.
Chandler came into camp wondering the same things many did about Ayton’s defense, but it didn’t take long for his question to go from “can he do it?” to “when will he do it?”
“I think he has all the ability to be a great defender and really dominate on both ends of the court,” Chandler said. “He’s so young, I don’t know how much he’s been taught. At this level, a lot of times you see growth in guys because they’re able to see something in front of them and especially with the structure that coach is designing and putting in, I really see him dominating. I saw enough yesterday in practice, as we got into more competitive contact work and atmosphere, I started to see glimpses of what I can see him doing in the future. All answers for me, of course, it’s a ‘can he do it?’ And that was answered. And now it’s about putting it in play and showing him how to do it every night and it becoming second nature to him.”
Ayton seems eager to learn, noting the benefit of being in the gym with Chandler every day. He raved about how Chandler and Trevor Ariza can point out things he’s struggling with before Ayton even needs to (or thinks to) ask about them, and help make corrections and teach on the fly.
“Those guys, they’re full of wisdom,” Ayton said. “And they help us a lot when we’re on the court and confused. It’s like they know what we’re lost on on the floor and they just come over and talk to us and tell us about it and make us more comfortable.”
An early lesson is to embrace his strength, something Chandler doesn’t think he’s been able to do previously due to constantly playing smaller competition and the way the college game is called differently. As Chandler notes, “it’s all grown men” in the NBA, and that allows Ayton to use that massive frame to his advantage more than he was maybe able to in college.
For Ayton, that ability to be more physical is something he’s excited for, as he explained why he’s already finding advantages in that, particularly on pick-and-roll coverage — along with some new technique’s he’s picked up from Kokoskov and the staff.
“Downing the screen is really new for me. So, for me, downing the screen is a lot better because I don’t have to go hedge,” Ayton said. “I’m like, I can really catch my breath when I’m downing the screen, so that’s a new thing I’ve learned on the defensive end. And the pick-and-rolls, you can push the guy now and actually push the screener and redirect him and help your point guard get over or under the screen.”
One of the main criticisms of Ayton coming out of college was that he wasn’t a natural defender, and there are questions about how much guys can really learn on that end once in the NBA. However, Chandler seems confident that, with the proper guidance from him and the staff, Ayton will be able to make that transformation into becoming a dominant defender where the movements, positioning, and recognition become second nature.
“Being a good defender is being able to disrupt everything an offense is trying to run because they’re thinking about you, and then finishing plays,” Chandler said. “With his strength and athleticism, he’ll be able to clean up every rebound and just move guys out of the way. He has that god-given athleticism that ain’t gonna go nowhere. … It’s going to take time.”
The Suns seem fine with giving Ayton that time, and why wouldn’t they? The talent is clearly there. For Ayton, it’s all about getting comfortable, and assumedly the rest will fall into place.
“He’s going to have to see different things and come across different players and different sets,” Chandler added, “and the more comfortable you get in that, then all of a sudden it becomes easier and you get in a rhythm. … Again, everything with him is going to be that time on the floor and getting used to it, but from what I’ve seen thus far, the sky is the limit. I think he should be one of those great, dominant big men in this next generation.”
He’s not there yet, and there’s no doubting he has a long way to go. However, it’s clear he’s committed to working on that end and getting better, and he perks up at the opportunity to tell you everything he’s working on. So many young guys in the league are quick to tell you they’re working on “everything” when it comes to their game, but rarely offer much in the way of details. Ayton rattled off a list of specific things he’s trying to add to his defensive repertoire now, and with Chandler as a guide, he’s certainly got the right resource to turn to for any of his needs.
