Deandre Ayton’s statement was strong. The pivot of the Suns, often at the center of criticism, did not hide his discomfort. “I have the feeling that the whole world hates me in a way”he said. “I’m the guy a lot of people are pointing to. »
Frank Vogel and Bradley Beal had come to his rescue before, and this time it was James Jones who responded.
“He is aware of all that. I think a lot of times guys pay too much attention to social media,” believes the GM of the Suns for the Arizona Republic. “They can’t do otherwise, because people are talking about them. I think people have forgotten his desire to be big and to win. I repeat, he is not yet 25 years old (he has them this Sunday) and he has six seasons in his legs. He’s running 18 points and 10 rebounds, and if you ask the great players if it’s easy or not to do that, they’ll say it’s extremely difficult. But even that bar doesn’t seem high enough for him and the others. »
Faced with attacks, the player explained that he wanted to reverse the trend this summer, which the leader confirms, recalling why Deandre Ayton is precious for Phoenix.
“He challenges himself to change that discourse. Rightly or not, he hears and feels things from the outside. I know he wants to change that rhetoric, because if you look at his impact over the last three or four years, it’s incredible. Without him at this level, we would not have been as good. If he is at this level, he makes us special and that motivates him. He tries to exploit these internal and external motivations. »
The pivot of the Suns is therefore supported by the franchise, which expects a lot in return.
“These are constant discussions: we want him to continue to progress”, concludes James Jones. “We have them with all the players, but it’s even stronger when we’re talking about one of the four best players in the group. »
| Deandre Ayton | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2018-19 | PHX | 71 | 31 | 58.5 | 0.0 | 74.6 | 3.1 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 16.3 |
| 2019-20 | PHX | 38 | 33 | 54.6 | 23.1 | 75.3 | 3.9 | 7.6 | 11.5 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 18.2 |
| 2020-21 | PHX | 69 | 31 | 62.6 | 20.0 | 76.9 | 3.3 | 7.2 | 10.5 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 14.5 |
| 2021-22 | PHX | 58 | 30 | 63.4 | 36.8 | 74.6 | 2.6 | 7.7 | 10.2 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 17.2 |
| 2022-23 | PHX | 67 | 30 | 58.9 | 29.2 | 76.0 | 2.6 | 7.4 | 10.0 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 18.0 |
| Total | 303 | 31 | 59.7 | 26.3 | 75.5 | 3.0 | 7.4 | 10.4 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 16.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
