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It was absolutely due to clippers aggressive trap that the opportunity was there but it struck me as something Ayton hasn’t been able to demonstrate much before. Just a smart play and well executed

Y'all told me we couldn't give it to Ayton in the post and have him go to work like Shaq...well it worked great in that first quarter. Need to keep doing it. Yeah, he'll miss a shot or turn it over once in awhile but he can be dominant if you feed him the ball.

He’s not comfortable using his footwork to create space or gain advantage in general, end up using his size, and the modern NBA calls the offensive foul much more closely than during the shaq years. Once Ayton becomes tentative it actually gets worse.

JeremyG wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 01, 2021 12:55 am

Y'all told me we couldn't give it to Ayton in the post and have him go to work like Shaq...well it worked great in that first quarter. Need to keep doing it. Yeah, he'll miss a shot or turn it over once in awhile but he can be dominant if you feed him the ball.

He was definitely effective tonight and there was a clear strategy to get him the ball when he had a mismatch in the paint. I'm a lot more confident with them trying it after it's been discussed in advance. Hopefully that means Ayton and Monty will both be more comfortable in the middle of a game when the situation calls for it. Nevertheless, I continue to be impressed with how well he's played in the playoffs.

Yes, that move surprised me. He rarely is looking for his own offense.

Ayton is maturing before our eyes. His willingness to be coached by Monty, Paul, Booker, etc. is a great attribute. These playoffs are the ultimate teaching ground under extreme pressure. We should all be proud of his accomplishments.

I wish we could pay DA the 38 mil first while he's playing with Paul and then have his salary decline.

Man, can you imagine Ayton's confidence if we win the NBA championship going into next season? DOMINAYTON may become a real and consistent thing. Can you imagine him with Embiid's confidence?

Superbone wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 03, 2021 11:52 am

Man, can you imagine Ayton's confidence if we win the NBA championship going into next season? DOMINAYTON may become a real and consistent thing. Can you imagine him with Embiid's confidence?

The great thing with Ayton the last few months is that he showed very fast improvement. If he learns some moves to get to the basket from the post position instead of shooting fade aways, he will be unstoppable.

I wonder if he could get Hakeem to work with him?

JeremyG wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 03, 2021 12:28 pm

I wonder if he could get Hakeem to work with him?

Great point. We did that for Alex Len, right? This would be perfect for Ayton!

Hakeem’s go to move was that little baseline fadeaway tho. He needs to get a reputation as an offensive force so that when people flop as he powers it up he can get a little more benefit of the doubt.