DEANDRE AYTON (POR)
STAR UNDERDOG
NBA ROLE: POWERFUL/SKILLED PIVOT
Deandre Ayton is has some new wave attributes as a modern-day pivot: quick, skilled & powerful; shoots/moves more like a wing/big forward in terms of form, release & movement OTD; chiseled frame, does able to withstand physicality in the league, finishes w/ authority; very soft touch in the lane - money off short roll catches; decent PnR defender, Ayton’s done better at staying in front and staying upright when contesting in the paint; still learning how to make plays w/ back to rim - needs to respond better to double teams; strong on the glass: plays o-boards extremely well, always up & around rim; impressive offensive profile w/ room to get better: Ayton likes to face & fire from elbow, features an emerging hook game & outside attack; works well in the pocket - recipient of plenty of PnR feeds & looks near the rim; rediscovered his game in Yr. 1 w/ the Blazers (‘23-’24): Ayton is a young cornerstone for Coach Billups’s group
SIGNATURE!
SLIP —> TWO-HANDER
HALF SPIN —> HOOK
#DOGTAGS: STAR UNDERDOG, BUCKET-GETTER, BOARDER
MORE ON D. AYTON
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2019)
Consensus First-Team All-American (2018)
Pac-12 Player of the Year (2018)
Karl Malone Award (2018)
(FACTORY SETTING) NBA 2K25 RATING: 81
(via Delay of Game Hoops & NBA)