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There are 4 pillars of what make Deandre Ayton great in the clutch (+8.3 NRTG):
- Offensive Rebounding
- PnR Offense
- Perimeter Defense
- Post and Rim Defense
32-CLIP MEGATHREAD starts here (with o-boards):
1. Displaces Whiteside with multiple efforts en-route to the score https://twitter.com/XinNBA/status/1320585323772928000
- Offensive Rebounding
- PnR Offense
- Perimeter Defense
- Post and Rim Defense
32-CLIP MEGATHREAD starts here (with o-boards):
1. Displaces Whiteside with multiple efforts en-route to the score https://twitter.com/XinNBA/status/1320585323772928000
2. Offensive boards become especially easy in transition against smaller opponents
3. Ayton's size allows him to easily grab bounces and score, even without a box out
4. Great instincts off a miss have already made Ayton into one of the league's top offensive rebounders, and this is vital in close games
5. Not all o-boards lead to putbacks, but here Ayton boxes out Christian Wood and rifles back to Booker for the jumper
6. Here Ayton finds Booker again to reset the play after a miss
7. Ayton wins out on the board and lasers a pass to Bridges to reset
8. Ayton rebounds his own miss here and beats Bam on the 2nd jump to lay it in
Next set of clips: PICK AND ROLL OFFENSE
9. The Booker/Ayton combo is lethal down the stretch. Booker bounces it in to Ayton, who dives for the score
9. The Booker/Ayton combo is lethal down the stretch. Booker bounces it in to Ayton, who dives for the score
10. Don't forget Ricky Rubio though. Ayton rolls off the pick and takes advantage of the Booker seal to slam it down.
11. Here, Ayton slips the screen and lays in the alley oop from Rubio. This is after playing 16 straight minutes in the 2nd half.
12. Less PnR and more broken play but a beautiful result. Rubio delivers the creative bounce pass to Ayton for the and-1 score.
13. Back to the Bubble here against the Clippers. Ayton receives the pass from Booker to break the tie in the clutch, plus the foul.
Next: PERIMETER DEFENSE. Defense is where Deandre Ayton stands out from other bigs his size. The ability as a 7-footer to stay with guards on the perimeter is a rare skill-set.
14. Dances with Ja Morant from the paint to the perimeter. Ja steps back for the 3 and gets denied.
14. Dances with Ja Morant from the paint to the perimeter. Ja steps back for the 3 and gets denied.
15. Ayton's switchability neutralizes any advantage the offense has on the perimeter. Here he contests LaVine's three immediately after the screen.
16. Similar play here against Devonte Graham. Ayton drops down after the screen but has enough length to recover and contest.
17. Game-saving plays by both Bridges and Ayton here. Bridges locks up Doncic at the rim and Ayton contests the deep three from Porzingis with seconds left.
18. Ayton stays in the face of Fournier and forces the bad miss from deep
19. Fifteen seconds left in the game. Ayton locks up Fournier on the perimeter. Three point attempt misses everything as Fournier can't see the rim.
20. Ayton switches onto McCollum after the Whiteside screen. Follows him from wing to baseline and forces the missed 2-pointer.
21. This one is technically not "clutch" as the Suns have a 6-point lead here, but I included it because it highlights Ayton's end-of-game versatility. Just gives Lillard no chance at the 3pt score.
Lastly, POST AND RIM DEFENSE: This is where the most impressive plays happen. Game-changing plays in the clutch that swing the momentum.
22. Ayton rejects SGA at the rim and runs coast-to-cost to finish after the Rubio feed.
22. Ayton rejects SGA at the rim and runs coast-to-cost to finish after the Rubio feed.
23. Deandre Ayton is outstanding at staying grounded in the post. Porzingis is forced into a bad attempt on the fadeaway.
24. With less than a minute left in a tie game, Paul George drives and lays up an airball with Ayton defending. Verticality.
25. Booker funnels Schroder into Ayton in the paint, resulting in Shroder fumbling the ball out of bounds
26. Ayton stays with Lillard on the drive to the rim and forces the pass. Simons misses the three and Ayton grabs the rebound.
27. Similar play to Porzingis above. Ayton stays grouned in the post and forces an Aldridge fadeaway miss.
28. Another contest at the rim here, this time on DeRozan, forcing the missed floater
29. Back to Lillard. Ayton's versatility allows the switch with no hesitation to bother the layup attempt.
30. With 45 seconds left, Ayton switches onto Fultz. Fultz gets trapped and forces a bad pass. Booker does the rest.
31. Last one here. Sometimes you just love to see a good overhead pass. Aron Baynes with the block and Ayton rifles it back to Baynes for the big-to-big connection. And-one.
