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#2 Deandre Ayton must improve his rebounding average to 15.0 rpg
By averaging 10.5 rpg in 2020-21, Deandre Ayton was already on the verge of being a top-10 rebounding player in the league. But there is room for improvement.
Getting to 15.0 rpg would mean that Ayton would have led the league in rebounding ahead of Clint Capela, who took the numero uno position in 2020-21 with 14.3 rpg. And when there are smaller players like Westbrook (11.5 rpg), or players who average fewer minutes like Enes Kanter (11.0 rpg), who are averaging more boards, then Deandre Ayton can certainly do better.
In the last decade, only Andre Drummond (thrice), DeAndre Jordan (twice) and Kevin Love (once) have averaged 15 or more boards for an entire season. Drummond’s 2017-18 performance was the only instance when a player managed to get to 16.0 rpg.
On a closer look, no NBA player over the last decade has averaged 22.0 ppg while averaging 15 boards a season. The best showing for any NBA player on this front is by Kevin Love, who averaged 20.2 ppg and 15.2 rpg in 2010-11.
Hall-of-Famer Moses Malone is the only NBA player to have averaged more than 22.0 ppg and 15.0 rpg in a single season since the three-point line was introduced in the NBA (1979-80). Malone averaged 24.5 ppg and 15.3 rpg in 1982-83 when he led his Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA title, finished as Finals MVP and also won league MVP. Deandre Ayton would do very well for himself if he emulated Malone.
#3 Deandre Ayton must be consistent and have a ‘Winner takes all’ mentality
In the very first playoff game of his career, Deandre Ayton put up an impressive show against the LA Lakers. He recorded 21 points and 16 rebounds, going 10-for-11 from the field, while also restricting Anthony Davis to just 13 points.
In the Western Conference semis, Ayton restricted Jokic to just 47.7% shooting from the field as compared to the 56.6% he had managed in the regular season. He averaged 16.0 ppg and 15.0 rpg in the first two games of the NBA Finals when Phoenix jumped to a 2-0 lead against Milwaukee.
But then as the Finals moved ahead, Deandre Ayton’s form dipped. He went without hitting double digit boards in Games 3 and 6. He shot only 33.3% from the field in Games 4 and 6, missing a chunk of easy scoring opportunities in those high-stakes games. Where he had zero turnovers for Phoenix in the first two games versus Milwaukee, he had eight turnovers for his team over the last four Finals games.
The NBA Playoffs and the Finals are about being mentally strong and not wilting under pressure. You have to be consistent when the arc lights are at their brightest. Deandre Ayton will have to figure this out for himself as it goes beyond number goals. He has a terrific team around him and the right skills to complement that team. If he hits these goals, both he and the Phoenix Suns will be championship winners sooner rather than later.
