I’ve been around basketball for almost 40 years, a season ticket holder for five of those and credentialed media for six more. In that time, I’ve not witnessed a better pro debut than the one laid out by 20-year-old Deandre Ayton against the Kings on Monday night.
In Ayton’s first 13 minutes wearing his official Suns uniform, he racked up 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal and was a stonewall on defense to the point the Kings shifted their shot attempts outward from there on in.
I’ll give you the obligatory Suns quotes in a minute, but I prefer to lead off the analysis of Ayton’s pro debut with a comment from Kings coach Dave Joerger.