Phoenix Suns: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 preseason opener

1. Deandre Ayton is the real deal

There’s a fair amount of concern about Deandre Ayton being worthy of his billing as a No. 1 overall pick. The doubt ranges from being an empty numbers guy without the actual impact, to being limited by his defensive shortcomings, to simply not being as good a prospect as Luka Doncic.

It’ll take a hell of a lot more than one preseason game to silence all the critics and nonbelievers, but Ayton got off to as great a start as Suns fans could ask for in that regard. Finishing his preseason debut with 24 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 30 minutes, Phoenix’s prized rookie was the clear standout of the night.

From getting easy looks at the basket to finishing lobs out of pick-and-rolls to squaring up for mid-range jumpers, Ayton was a load on the offensive end in almost every facet. The best part is it wasn’t just the offensive end of the floor where he thrived, because it appears as though Kokoskov’s defense-first message is sinking in.

"“I think he was engaged, he was vocal,” the first-year coach said. “He’s a playmaker defensively too, so that’s something that he can command and we’re waiting for that command and direction to give to the guards. His voice is very important. I think that he showed decent pressing defensively and we should start with that. We know that he’s got talent and we’ll find him offensively, but start with defense.”"

Aside from the three blocks and one steal, Ayton was active in the pick-and-roll D, showing a sense of urgency and signs of court awareness that were rare at the University of Arizona. He was communicative as the back line in pick-and-rolls, helped over on more than one occasion, showed off improved verticality in the paint and made a concerted, all-around effort to anchor the Suns on that end of the floor.

Phoenix didn’t get the win, but Ayton’s defensive competence didn’t go unnoticed by Kings head coach Dave Joerger either.

"“He’s going to be a tough deal for the next 10 or 12 years,” he said. “It’s hard to take him off the court as an opposing team coach because he defends the pick-and-roll really well, I think, so you can’t take advantage of him that way. He’s switchable, he can show. So he’s going to be a handful in areas that not a lot of people are talking about.”"

Obviously there’s a difference between looking good defensively in preseason against the Sacramento Kings’ young frontcourt and doing the same over the course of an 82-game season against legitimate, developed NBA bigs, but thoroughly outplaying Willie Cauley-Stein and Marvin Bagley III was a fine start.

"“I know he’s sure that he’s pretty good, but then you have to step on the stage and measure yourself with the other guys on the court,” Kokoskov said. “So I think once he starts playing and he feels like, ‘Hey, I belong here and I can play against the best,’ his productivity and his game’s gonna be even better.”"