Deandre Ayton seemed to be talking about physical energy, but he would have forgiven himself if they assumed he was also talking about his new emotional energy. The closure of the NBA seems to have helped Ayton in his own way, providing recovery from the stress of the 2019-20 season and allowing him to return to the basics of life.
All of this may seem quite heavy and deliberate, but Ayton reminded those who phoned on site Thursday that he is only a child after all. Much of what goes on around him is nothing more than forage on social media. For the most part, he spent the end of spring and early summer locked up, playing video games and training.
“I felt like I was in high school. I haven’t really had a problem, Ayton said. “I definitely took the opportunity to take that break, taking that load off, and I think that’s why I have so much energy.”
In addition to retouching his skills in NBA2K (and finishing second in his championship teammate Devin Booker in the championship tournament), Ayton took advantage of the opportunity to get closer to his younger sister, who said he was clumsy around him. because they spent so much time apart. In quarantine, Ayton focused on “just being a human being”, living life in a way he probably hasn’t been able to do all basketball in recent years.
Of course, Ayton did his best not to waste precious time training to improve as a player. When the first stop hit, Ayton was still recovering from (another) ankle injury and had to virtually rehabilitate the sprain, going through training regimens with the Suns’ training staff. It was his second injury of the season, and the third of his career, but he said he feels better and hasn’t had a problem since returning to the pitch.
Because he’s healthy again, Ayton was able to use this time to work on his game. Precious work with assistant coach Mark Bryant continues, with Ayton working to become more of an attacking director and a more patient defender.
Ayton admitted that he had hunted too many blocks this season and that Bryant helped him with his defensive footwork, how to block shots with both hands and when to use a softer touch on blocked shots to keep them on the pitch.
“I know everyone is looking at my defense,” said Ayton. “It was just a big chip (on my shoulder), so I’m ready.”
Hearing Ayton speak, the arrest seems to have allowed him to gain mental clarity and focus on what’s important to him. Although not much has changed from a basketball perspective since the media’s last talk with him, Ayton has had a maturity about him and a sense of purpose in everything he said that isn’t always the case. natural state for him.
When asked about his whirlwind 2019-2020 campaign, from a substance-related suspension to the arrest of the coronavirus, Ayton admitted that he humiliated him.
“I could have stopped a lot, but I didn’t stop, I stayed on the positive path and I have the Suns organization that made me take the right steps along the way,” he said.
The second year center said he trusted the league to create a safe environment in Orlando and was mostly disappointed to be away from his family for so long. As for the movement against systemic racism in the country and the NBA, Ayton has returned to his personal principles.
“I try to focus only on controlling what I can control,” he said. “I try to live the best way I can live.”
Nobody could blame Ayton for appreciating some distance from suspension, injury and rim. A closer relationship with her sister and a better rim protection technique are some nice souvenirs of a certainly crazy period in our nation, and the next few months in the NBA will probably go on in hyper-speed. Ayton’s third year will be here before we know it. That energy will come in handy.
