Coverage of the NBA Finals continues on Sunday night as the series heads to Milwaukee for the next two games. 2-0 down, the Bucks will need to win Game 3 at home against the Phoenix Suns to keep their title hopes alive. Join us live from 12:45am on Sky Sports Main Event & Arena
Saturday 10 July 2021 13:24, UK
Big man sets screen. Little man makes, or sets up, bucket. The pick and roll. The most rudimentary of basketball offensive strategies. But pretty much unguardable when executed correctly.
And Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton has taken pride in how well he is setting screens and rolling to the basket in the NBA Finals.
With Chris Paul and Devin Booker as the main ball handlers, you could hardly ask for a better pair to be the roll man for, and when asked following the Suns' Game 2 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, by 118-108, what he considered to be the most important facet of his team's enchanting offense, Ayton was unequivocal.
"Mainly on the power of our pick and roll," he said. "I was trying my best to set good screens to get our guys open and just rolling as hard as I can to the rim, which opens up the floor for our shooters."
And that it did, the Suns drained 20-of-40 from beyond the arc on a red-hot shooting night. A fitting analogy as the team from the desert chases its first NBA title.
"I think I've always been a guy who has humility so I'm just being amped up," Ayton said. "I have a group of team-mates who keep me level-headed and we don't get too happy on the form. (Chris Paul) is a good leader, he knows what's next, and he knows how the playoffs are and (how) teams can get complacent on wins like this. But we are just putting our heads down and we're going to keep working."
His play on the other end guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo has also been noteworthy. It's one of the most difficult defensive assignments in basketball and certainly the most draining.
You know you're going to get dunked on a few times guarding the Greek Freak but Ayton has remained focused on the details when defending the two-time league MVP.
"First of all, you just want to stay in between the ball and Giannis, showing your hands early," Ayton said. "And just building up a wall. Both of us are like sizes and just try to stay in front of him knowing that he's just going to absorb all the contact.
"I'm making sure I stick to my script and personnel on who I guard, making sure I keep KYPs (know your personnel points) on my main matchup, which is Giannis, and just being a presence, making sure always rolling and don't forget my requirements for my team."
Ayton was selected first in what is now looking like a historically talented draft class in 2018, also containing Luka Doncic and Trae Young.
This year, he has shown exactly why it made sense for the Suns to select him with that pick despite the generational abilities of the other two players taken after him.
But what is key for Ayton is continuing to play with confidence, and not to get too downhearted if things aren't going his way.
A clip went viral from Game 2 where coach Monty Williams demonstrated his ability to get the most from Ayton and the kind of inspiration he has delivered which has helped the big man from the Bahamas raise his game to a whole new level this season.
Ayton said: "I didn't play the way I wanted to play, especially trying to finish around the rim. I didn't rebound the way I wanted to rebound. It kind of got to me a little bit but you know, I kept playing through it and kept chipping down to find what I can do best for my team and, you know, Monty seen it on me.
"I had my emotions on my shoulders a little bit, but you know, he stopped me because he knows me, and he's just wanted to tell me a word of encouragement and it got me going."
But it's not just been down to the coach, Ayton acknowledges that a few things have clicked for him personally this year as well.
"I'd say I definitely picked up on consistency," he added. "I'm just (about) my next right move. What I've been trying to do is just stay consistent on how I approach the game. Making sure I have a lot of confidence going into games and not really missing anything.
"Just being in the weight room and just being ready for games, watching a lot of film, not just watching film on us, but watching film on our opponents watching what they like to do, and making sure I'm sturdy at all times."
Sturdy he certainly has been, or dependable is perhaps a better word, both as a consistent scoring threat and defensive pest for the Suns.
And it could end up being a fairytale year with the most glorious of endings, especially if they can take one of the two games on the road on Milwaukee, starting this weekend.
