Team Defense
To piggy back on Ayton’s poor pick-and-roll coverage, he also is a poor team defender. Too often will he fail to rotate on drivers when he is in position to challenge or block their shot at the rim. This is the main reason why Ayton does not project as an elite shot blocker.
Here’s how he stacks up compared to other big men in blocks per 40 minutes.
| Name | Blocks Per 40 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | 5.5 |
| Mohamed Bamba | 4.8 |
| Wendell Carter Jr. | 3.1 |
| DeAndre Ayton | 2.3 |
This clip is from Arizona’s loss against Buffalo in the first round of tournament. Along with the rest of his team, DeAndre Ayton has his head turned away from the ball.
He doesn’t notice that Buffalo guard Wes Clark has an easy layup at the hoop before it’s too late. These kinds of late rotations are inexcusable for a player of Ayton’s talent.