Just before the play was ready and ready to go, Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams' final message to his team was simple.
"Perform it," he said. "If he throws it, DA, you have to try to dunk it. OK?"
Williams was talking to Deandre Ayton, telling the older man in his third year that the play, which the host Sons had never rehearsed so much before, was meant for him. It was a play that would decide Tuesday's Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals one way or another, the kind of game you place in the hands of your franchise player.
For Sun, it's usually Devin Booker - or Chris Paul, when available. But it was right, when, about three hours before the final chaotic moments of Game 2 were played, pingpong balls were pulled from a hopper and the 2021 Draft Lottery was made official, that former No. 1 overall pick Ayton had the most important He had in his hands the game of the sun in a decade.
Ayton's place in draft history is an unusual one, far from the idea of any hustle or bad pick, but not one of the two men took places two and four behind him. Since they were first cast in 2018, Luka Doncic and Trae Young have risen to superstardom. Much of the postmortem draft analysis has centered around Doncic and Young's swap, but Ayton's choice of Sons remains an accidental whisper.
It roared to a head last season when Ayton was suspended 25 games for using a banned substance, a diuretic. It came a day after a major opening-night performance in which Ayton scored 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks in a win over the Sacramento Kings. The sun was looking good. So Eyton did. But after his suspension, and some ankle injuries that slowed him down, the Suns never found traction.
His run in the bubble was the foundation for everything this season, including Ayton. In the past, he was not as committed to the work as he said he should have been. It's not that he isn't lazy or motivated, but the levels of achievement and performance are, and Ayton admitted that wasn't what he needed.
"Sometimes I didn't even come on vacation," Ayton said. "[Williams] used to use something called gym scent, touch at least one ball, and it really instilled in me that I wanted to constantly sharpen my skills and be the best I could be."
Ayton spent the off-season trying to change his outlook, renew his work ethic, and commit to being a major grown man. The accountability of experienced teammates, including Paul and Jae Crowder, helped freshen up the mindset.
"I could go on and on about where he was where he is now," Williams said. "He's turning into a really impressive player on both ends of the floor."
It has been demonstrated later this season as Ayton has demonstrated his two-way ability. He has taken up the challenge of defending Lakers star Anthony Davis (before his injury), then league MVP Nikola Jokic and now the short-ball LA Clippers. Their versatility has created a new dynamic for clippers to tackle – the size, speed and sharpness of the items presents a variety of problems.
And the production has been blindfolded. According to research by the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first player in the post-season eight-shot era (since 1954–55) to achieve a field goal percentage of 70% or better in any 12-game post-season period. He has played five 20-point, 10-rebound games since this season, the most by a Suns player since Amar'e Stoudemire in 2007.
"I've never played so hard from jump ball to the end," Ayton said. "One hundred and fifty percent. Usually, it's like 110, but it's 150%. And it's also 150% mentally. Just the level of focus and the things you really have to pay attention to. It's really intense Yes, man."
Ayton may not be the founding superstar reserved for the No. 1 slot. He may not have spent a decade making the All-Star team or winning awards, but he is a cornerstone for the Suns. He's an example of roster construction, a perfect fit in the plan Williams devised to support Booker, Paul, and the army of shooters orbiting the perimeter. Ayton isn't trying to gain position or validate his draft spot, he just wants to outperform the Phoenix Suns.
"He's beginning to understand that a role doesn't limit you," Williams said. "Sometimes when you tell a guy that this is your role, they think I can't do anything else. But he has a bigger role."
The 2018 draft cloud does not follow Ayton. He has admitted to being sensitive to perception and criticism in the past, but has left it all behind.
"At the end of the day, we are all different players," Ayton said of the comparison of Doncic and Young. "I'm a 7-foot, big guy, and those two point guards. I don't know what you can compare. But me, I play as hard as I can. It's my team. I'm the best." Dominate it the way I can for this team and try to take this team as far as I can. Also, I believe in my work, I believe in my work, I believe in my craft is."
Ayton is consistently likable, lighting up every postgame availability with humor and a megawatt grin. There is a lovely innocence in his answers, a refreshing honesty and humility in every answer. He called Crowder's pass the real game winner for how much space it had. He admitted that he was not aware of the no-goaler rule which affected his celebration as he did not want to be a blooper. And he rejected any idea that he was playing for anything other than the success of his team. Personal verification will come automatically.
His dunk was the first game-winner of his career, and as he defied teammates and coaches and basically everyone involved at any level of the Suns' organization, he slipped into a talk about how the drama came together. Allowed myself even the slightest bit of credit.
"The coach made a great play where I was in the best position," he said. "My teammates trusted me and my coaches trusted me."