(NBA Film Study) Deandre Ayton is X-factor for Suns

Yo, this ---- hard. This is F.A.F. Sportsman, this is Lamont. We back, NBA film study, basketball, one-on-one. We got about, got to talk about the Phoenix Suns here. Right, the Phoenix Suns are a very unique team. Unique because their best playmaker is also aging and it seems like he's aging more and more every single game and looks less of himself from the past and more of an older player that looks like he's on his way out the league. Not saying he doesn't have much left in the tank, but to beat the Denver Nuggets, the Phoenix Suns will probably have to limit Chris Paul's minutes because of his size and inability to defend some of the bigger athletes that Denver likes to put on the floor. If that happens, this is more of the type of lineup we will need to see out there from the Phoenix Suns as they go bigger and we're going to need to see Devin Booker on ball a lot more facilitating the offense, if that is the case. And so what does that potentially look like? I think for them to have success, they have to find ways to get some of the others buckets. And when I say others, that starts with DeAndre Ayton. How can we manufacture those easy buckets that could potentially get them going? Because for them to win this series, they're going to need someone who can constantly attack Yokek as a threat at the rim and prevent them from defending on the perimeter with all this fervor without having to worry about anybody on the interior. So they just have to find ways to get them to ball against a great defense that does a good job of denying post-entry. So we're going to look at this set right here. I think this is a handoff to ball screen with the corner exit. I think this is not only opens up looks for corner three-point shooters like Akogi, but it opens up lobs to the rim for Ayton, which we know that is his advantage over a center like Yokek, his athleticism. How can you hit him on the goal? How can you find him at the rim? I'm going to show you how right here. So this is a great set right here where you're getting your best offensive player to ball at the high post where he wants it. Once he gets the ball there, the defense has to emphasize and then focus in on him. That creates the decoy, the setup here with the handoff to Booker and then beautifully, beautifully set right there. When he comes off that DHO, the defense has to focus in on Booker. Why? Because Booker's been killing this playoffs and as that action happens, we see Ayton roll and get behind the defense for an easy lob. Plays like this can help the Phoenix Suns create an avenue to where they can potentially win this series and they definitely need to steal one in Denver. We'll run this back right here. Booker right there. Good ball movement. Booker right here. Good effort pushing off, getting the ball. Ayton is setting that ball screen, but what does he do after he sets that ball screen? He doesn't stand. He rolls to the rim. He gets the lob right there. They're going to have to get creative and the playmaking is going to have to come from someone other than Chris Paul because if Monte Williams is smart, he would limit Chris Paul's minutes in this series because I just don't think he has the legs to run or defend this Denver Nugget unit on a consistent basis. As Chris Paul minutes go down, Devin Booker's playmaking ability probably goes up. We're going to need some DC elevated scoring from KD, but definitely elevated scoring from the man in the middle, DeAndre Ayton.