Phoenix Suns top overall pick Deandre Ayton has likely heard it all when it comes to comparisons to his greatest threat for the Rookie of the Year award, front-runner Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.

“I cringe a little bit,” Deandre Ayton told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “I have family and friends who always talk about it. I hear them. I try not to really buy into that stuff. Obviously, it gives me a little edge. I just want to go out there for my teammates and just play.”

Ayton's first season with the Suns comes with a ton of pressure, as Phoenix passed up on the opportunity to draft Doncic while having a coach he was plenty familiar with during his time with the Slovenian national team.

Yet the Suns thought the double-double monster out of Arizona would be a better fit for their franchise than the youngest EuroLeague MVP winner in history, a decision they'll be forced to live with as their careers play out.

“I watch his games all the time. He’s a beast,” Ayton said of Doncic, who played for Real Madrid CF last season. “I’m like, ‘Aw, what the heck, there is no way Doncic is a rookie.’ That is what I say sometimes when I watch him play. He’s been there [professionally]. He’s been in situations like this.”

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Doncic indeed has three years of professional experience in his bag, which made him by far the most NBA-ready product in the draft, despite the pundits arguing at his lack of familiarity with the league's pace and athleticism.

Deandre Ayton hasn't been too shabby himself, though, posting a strong double-double average of 16.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, joining historic big men like Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Karl-Anthony Towns, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson as the only rookies to average 16 points and 10 rebounds while shooting more than 60 percent from the field.

“I don’t really care about any type of attention I’m not getting,” Ayton said. “I just want to win. When you win, that’s how you get your attention. With team success comes individual accolades. We definitely need some wins. I am not complaining about anything. I just want to come out here and get W’s.”

Luka Doncic is enjoying one of the best individual seasons for any rookie, but his success is tied with the impact he has had bringing the Mavs to playoff contention. Ayton must first pull the Suns from the Western Conference cellar before he garners any more attention, a task easier said than done.