Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams is perfectly fine with Deandre Ayton expanding his range.
Williams denied any indication that he does not want his second-year center shooting three-pointers prior to Sunday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Monty Williams said he hasn’t told Deandre Ayton to not shoot 3s
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) January 5, 2020
The notion that Williams would prefer Ayton to remain in the paint likely stems from an appearance on a local sports radio show in which the Suns' bench tactician stated Ayton does not know how dominant he can be in the paint.
Via Kevin Zimmerman of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM:
“I think he doesn’t know how dominant he can be, and most young bigs don’t. Think about the young bigs who’ve come into the league at that age outside of Shaq. Most of ’em took time to realize how big they were and the impact they could have physically. I think that’s going to come.
“Mark Bryant, our big-man coach and bench coach, tells me all the time: ‘With bigs it just takes awhile.’ I think it’s something he’s going to grow into. He’s got physical abilities that not many bigs have had in this league, historically. But I’m like you: I want him to dunk everything.”
Deandre Ayton took just four three-pointers all of last season and he had only taken one trey through his first five games entering play on Sunday.
While the game's evolution has prompted most of today's big men to expand their range, there are some who are simply too physically gifted. Ayton is one of them and it's on Williams to make sure his prized behemoth gets his touches inside the paint.
It seems unlikely that he will become a prolific three-point shooter overnight or even ever, but Williams is fine with the Suns center testing his limits.
Just so long as he also looks to dunk on opponents every now and then.
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