Phoenix Suns: The pros and cons of drafting Deandre Ayton No. 1 overall

Pro: Defensive potential

The biggest obstacle to Deandre Ayton reaching his ceiling is the defensive side of the ball. Simply put, he was not good on that end of the floor in college, and he certainly has a long way to go before the Suns — the NBA’s 30th-ranked defense last year — can rely on him as the rim protector and defensive anchor they so badly need.

In his defense though, Ayton played out of position most of the time at U of A, which contributed to his issues on that end. Guarding quicker wings and 4s would be a problem for most seven-footers. At the 5, Ayton won’t be asked to do as much, empowering him to put his length to better use around the basket.

Though he was often unengaged defensively, Ayton has the tools to improve on that end. It’s not just a matter of caring more, but with his height, length, size and fluid agility, there’s no reason he should be a defensive sieve. It will take a lot of work on his part, but judging a 19-year-old’s poor defense while playing out of position in college isn’t entirely indicative of what to expect at the next level.

Ayton has to improve almost every area of his defensive game outside of rebounding, but he’ll have the physical tools and the motivation as a No. 1 pick to do so.

Con: Defensive concerns

Ayton could be a good defender at the next level if he really works at it, stays focused on that end and has more capable defenders surrounding him, but this transition won’t be an easy process by any means.

Arizona’s first round exit in the NCAA Tournament against a small-ball team like Buffalo wasn’t the only instance of Ayton being repeatedly carved up off the dribble, but it was certainly the most memorable and eye-opening. Not many seven-footers can stifle 1s, 2s and 3s in the NBA, but they need to be able to hold their own in a pinch.

There’s a reason the rosters around guys like Towns and Jokic will have to be tailored carefully — they’re miserable interior defenders whose teams may top out as first round playoff fodder if the defense never improves.

Ayton averaged 1.9 blocks per game, sure, but that only translated to 2.3 blocks per 40 minutes. He only posted 0.6 steals per game, was a lazy weak-side shot-blocker and routinely lost his man off the ball. He can hold his own when engaged on that end, but too often lost focus or didn’t care enough to stay in stance, getting beat off the dribble and providing lazy hedges on screens.

That all has to change at the next level, where intelligent NBA offenses will target opposing weak links trip after trip down the floor. For all his talents, if Ayton can’t stay on the floor for fear of opponents getting him switched onto ball-handlers on the perimeter, his impact will have to be massive on the offensive end to make up for it.

That’s not out of the question, of course, as guys like KAT and the Joker have proven, but it puts a cap on Phoenix’s ceiling as a potential contender down the road. Ayton is leagues behind where prospects like Bamba and JJJ rank as rim protectors and potential defensive anchors. If that’s what the Suns are looking for, they’d be better off looking elsewhere — even with the possibility of Ayton improving taken into account.