The Phoenix Suns have never had a dominant center in their history. So when they won the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and Deandre Ayton was the near consensus pick, Suns fans were assured of one thing: if nothing else, this would be the best opportunity the franchise had ever had at snagging that star anchor in the front court.
After the Las Vegas Summer League, we weren’t left with a whole lot in terms of how he might look during a real game. Sure, Ayton’s stats were good (he averaged a double-double), but not only was he playing with inferior talent, but against it as well so the competition apparently high enough to put forth all-out effort.