Ranking all active No. 1 picks in the NBA, from worst to best
By Evan Kelly
10) Deandre Ayton
By no means is Ayton a bad player, but as the number 1 overall pick in one of the best drafts in recent memory, it is fair to call his career to this point underwhelming. Now in his 6th season and on his second team, his numbers are down a bit this year at 13.4 ppg and 10.2 rpg.
A change of scenery was probably best for Ayton, after a bit of a rollercoaster last season or two in Phoenix. However, he was a key part of the Sun's turnaround that ultimately came up just two wins short of an NBA title. He authored one of the most iconic plays in Suns history, an Alley-Oop with just 0.9 seconds left to defeat the Clippers in game 2 of the 2021 Western Finals.
Ayton has been a good player his entire career, and is now trying to help rebuild the Blazers in the post Damian Lillard era. He is still only 25 and has a good opportunity to grow alongside a group of young and talented guards in Portland. Ayton still has all the tools to become a dominant big man, and at just 25 years old it is certainly possible that he can still put it all together.