Phoenix Suns: 5 goals for Deandre Ayton in 2018-19

2. Shoot 34 percent from 3-point range

Defense will be the aspect of Ayton’s game that separates his ceiling from his floor, but the ability to shoot 3s is the skill that will help close the gap between the two if he never becomes a good defender.

Ayton is already going to be a load down low and on the boards, but if he’s able to stretch the floor to 3-point range too, opponents will have to pick their poison. He didn’t really showcase this element of his game in Las Vegas, but at Arizona he converted 34.3 percent of his long range looks, attempting exactly one per game.

It seems fair to set the bar around that range for his first season with the Suns, especially since the NBA line is further out and Kokoskov might keep it conservative on this front until Ayton’s had more time to work on that part of his game.

His future as a stretch-5 probably won’t materialize in his rookie year, but he still should see a limited number of 3-point looks, much like he did in college. If he can aim for the same kind of efficiency in the 34 percent range, Phoenix will be plenty excited about his potential to spread the floor down the road.