The Phoenix Suns could not be more excited about the development of Deandre Ayton. He has come alive in his second NBA season. After being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Suns are finally getting the version of Ayton that they were expecting when they made him that pick.
Against the New York Knicks on Thursday night, Ayton made franchise history and became the youngest player in team history to record a 20-point and 20-rebound game.
Deandre Ayton is easily the youngest player in @Suns history to record at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game (age in years-days):
21-177 Ayton
23-357 Earl Williams
24-077 Amar'e Stoudemire
24-078 Neal Walk— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) January 17, 2020
Needless to say, that is a huge step in the right direction for Ayton. The Suns have been adamant that Ayton has the potential to be a 20-20 type of player. Devin Booker has even made it clear that he thinks the former Arizona Wildcat standout can be a 30-20 player.
At 21 years old, the sky is the limit for Ayton. The Suns finally appear to be turning a bit of a corner. It has been a long rebuild, but they have drafted well and things are finally starting to come into place.
Following their win over the Knicks, Phoenix moved to 17-24 on the season. They still aren’t a winning basketball team, but they are getting there. Ayton’s development will play a key role in their journey back to the postseason.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see if this game gives Ayton even more confidence. The sky is the limit for him and he is showing signs of becoming one of the league’s most dominant young big men.
