Examining Deandre Ayton's performance in his first game for Phoenix Suns since the contract extension drama

Deandre Ayton is the center of the NBA's latest drama because the Phoenix Suns refused to sign him on a contract extension.

With most of his peers from the 2018 NBA draft class signing major extensions, Ayton he believed he deserved one as well. The former 1st overall pick wanted to sign the rookie maximum extension, but to everyone's surprise, the team didn't offer him one. Not only did they not offer him a max deal, but also negotiations with the player ended with no deal at all.

Suns GM Sam Jones spoke about the messy situation with The Athletic's Sam Amick, saying:

"Unfortunately, we are where we are. No agreement. We didn't have real negotiation."

The deadline for rookie-scale extensions for the 2018 draft class was October 18th, 2021. The 2018 NBA Draft class hit a record $1+ billion in extensions this season, but surprisingly, the 1st overall pick of that class wasn't part of it.

Ayton can now either enter a restricted free agency next summer or sign a qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent in 2023. Hence, a lot of attention will be on his performances this season as he tries to show the Suns that they made a mistake by not extending him.

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How did Deandre Ayton perform in the 2021-22 season opener against the Denver Nuggets?

Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center

The game's color commentator for ESPN, Richard Jefferson said about Ayton in the first quarter itself:

"Pay that man his money."

That's because Ayton started the game all guns blazing, instantly reminding everyone why he was the first pick over Luka Doncic and Trae Young. He recorded eight points on 4-6 shooting and four rebounds in the first quarter itself. But he was still -5 for his 7 minutes and 48 seconds on the floor because the Suns got outscored by the Nuggets in that period.

Ayton then scored five points in the second quarter in seven minutes and 50 seconds, shooting 1-1 from the three-point range and 2-2 from the charity stripe. He was +5 in box +/- in that span.

However, he had a serious mismatch in his position. Ayton was left to guard the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, who bullied the former and got his way. That brought back memories of the 2021 NBA Finals when Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo bullied Ayton.

Ayton scored zero points in the third quarter on 0-1 shooting in 7:58 minutes on the floor, and was -15 in that span. He then registered a two-point final quarter, and was 0 in box +/- for his final nine minutes.

Deandre Ayton started the game with a splash, but quickly cooled down. His defensive shortcomings were on display again, but going up against the reigning MVP was no mean feat.

Ayton can still hold his own at the defensive end on most nights. His tally of 15 points on the night is around his career average, but going for more than 20+ points would have helped his case better. He ended the night with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal in 32 minutes and 26 seconds, and was -15 in box +/-.

Ayton needs Chris Paul and Devin Booker to feed him good looks. It is not a case of the Phoenix Suns giving him the ball in the low post and watching Ayton get to work. Paul and Ayton had an excellent connection in the 2021 NBA playoffs, where the latter's superior efficiency was key in the Suns' postseason run.

Deandre Ayton's Game-4 performance against the LA Clippers was arguably his best game of all time. He registered 19 points, 22 rebounds, three assists and four blocks on the road. Paul said after the game that the Phoenix Suns would certainly pay Ayton in the summer. However, that didn't transpire.

Deandre Ayton not signing the rookie-scale max extension is something not everyone expected. That's because the Rookie of the Year finalist in 2019 has performed better than most players in his draft class.

With the Phoenix Suns taking on the LA Lakers on October 22nd at the Staples Center, a lot of attention will be on Deandre Ayton once again.

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