Chad Ford: 2018 Top 10 Prospects

[chilidawg]

3. DeAndre Ayton
Age: 18
Forward/center
Arizona

McDonald's: 8 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, on 4-for-10 shooting

Last year Ayton played at the Hoop Summit as a 16-year-old. At the time he was widely considered the top player in his class. A year later, a handful of NBA scouts feel that he might still end up as the best prospect in the draft.

Ayton has a rare combination of athleticism and skill for a big man. He too has the ability to score from everywhere on the floor and plays with quickness that has drawn some scouts to compare him to Kevin Garnett.

He lacks Garnett's toughness and motor, however, and that's why he slid to No. 3 on our board this year. If he has a big season for Arizona, there's a good chance we'll be in a three-man race for the No. 1 pick.

Questionable/Absent Motor = not interested, for me.

He's what, 17.  Might want to be a little more patient with that assessment.

[gouki88]

3. DeAndre Ayton
Age: 18
Forward/center
Arizona

McDonald's: 8 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, on 4-for-10 shooting

Last year Ayton played at the Hoop Summit as a 16-year-old. At the time he was widely considered the top player in his class. A year later, a handful of NBA scouts feel that he might still end up as the best prospect in the draft.

Ayton has a rare combination of athleticism and skill for a big man. He too has the ability to score from everywhere on the floor and plays with quickness that has drawn some scouts to compare him to Kevin Garnett.

He lacks Garnett's toughness and motor, however, and that's why he slid to No. 3 on our board this year. If he has a big season for Arizona, there's a good chance we'll be in a three-man race for the No. 1 pick.

Questionable/Absent Motor = not interested, for me.

He's what, 17.  Might want to be a little more patient with that assessment.

Yeah, not sure high school play is a good indicator of motor. He's still just a kid.

[Beat LA]

3. DeAndre Ayton
Age: 18
Forward/center
Arizona

McDonald's: 8 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, on 4-for-10 shooting

Last year Ayton played at the Hoop Summit as a 16-year-old. At the time he was widely considered the top player in his class. A year later, a handful of NBA scouts feel that he might still end up as the best prospect in the draft.

Ayton has a rare combination of athleticism and skill for a big man. He too has the ability to score from everywhere on the floor and plays with quickness that has drawn some scouts to compare him to Kevin Garnett.

He lacks Garnett's toughness and motor, however, and that's why he slid to No. 3 on our board this year. If he has a big season for Arizona, there's a good chance we'll be in a three-man race for the No. 1 pick.

Questionable/Absent Motor = not interested, for me.

He's what, 17.  Might want to be a little more patient with that assessment.

I'm not sure about that.  You can't teach someone how to play with effort or work hard, imo , but you never know, maybe that light will come on in college.  I just don't think that it's ever a good idea to draft someone in the hope that something clicks, upstairs . You either inherently possess that trait or you don't, in my view .

[gouki88]

3. DeAndre Ayton
Age: 18
Forward/center
Arizona

McDonald's: 8 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, on 4-for-10 shooting

Last year Ayton played at the Hoop Summit as a 16-year-old. At the time he was widely considered the top player in his class. A year later, a handful of NBA scouts feel that he might still end up as the best prospect in the draft.

Ayton has a rare combination of athleticism and skill for a big man. He too has the ability to score from everywhere on the floor and plays with quickness that has drawn some scouts to compare him to Kevin Garnett.

He lacks Garnett's toughness and motor, however, and that's why he slid to No. 3 on our board this year. If he has a big season for Arizona, there's a good chance we'll be in a three-man race for the No. 1 pick.

Questionable/Absent Motor = not interested, for me.

He's what, 17.  Might want to be a little more patient with that assessment.

I'm not sure about that.  You can't teach someone how to play with effort or work hard, imo , but you never know, maybe that light will come on in college.  I just don't think that it's ever a good idea to draft someone in the hope that something clicks, upstairs . You either inherently possess that trait or you don't, in my view .

I don't know whether or not you can accurately judge a kid's motor when he's dominating his competition with ease. I'll reserve judgement on that until he starts playing college ball.

[clevelandceltic]

Im not sure Ayton has been coached all that well when you watch certain parts of hhis game. The way he wants to play is similar to KAT at the same stage. Wants to shoot 3s. It will be interesting to see how he can put it all together if he is taught how to do it.

[clevelandceltic]

3. DeAndre Ayton
Age: 18
Forward/center
Arizona

McDonald's: 8 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, on 4-for-10 shooting

Last year Ayton played at the Hoop Summit as a 16-year-old. At the time he was widely considered the top player in his class. A year later, a handful of NBA scouts feel that he might still end up as the best prospect in the draft.

Ayton has a rare combination of athleticism and skill for a big man. He too has the ability to score from everywhere on the floor and plays with quickness that has drawn some scouts to compare him to Kevin Garnett.

He lacks Garnett's toughness and motor, however, and that's why he slid to No. 3 on our board this year. If he has a big season for Arizona, there's a good chance we'll be in a three-man race for the No. 1 pick.

Questionable/Absent Motor = not interested, for me.

He's what, 17.  Might want to be a little more patient with that assessment.

I'm not sure about that.  You can't teach someone how to play with effort or work hard, imo , but you never know, maybe that light will come on in college.  I just don't think that it's ever a good idea to draft someone in the hope that something clicks, upstairs . You either inherently possess that trait or you don't, in my view .

I don't know whether or not you can accurately judge a kid's motor when he's dominating his competition with ease. I'll reserve judgement on that until he starts playing college ball.

There is plenty of evidence to say this about his motor. He has played plenty of high level games where he didnt dominate. If you have only seen him in this years Hoop Hall, thats not always the player that shows up. You want him to dominate games more than he does and gets frustrated with teammates when he doesnt get the ball. We will see next year but I have seen him enough times to say that this isnt a valid argument.

[Beat LA]

3. DeAndre Ayton
Age: 18
Forward/center
Arizona

McDonald's: 8 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, on 4-for-10 shooting

Last year Ayton played at the Hoop Summit as a 16-year-old. At the time he was widely considered the top player in his class. A year later, a handful of NBA scouts feel that he might still end up as the best prospect in the draft.

Ayton has a rare combination of athleticism and skill for a big man. He too has the ability to score from everywhere on the floor and plays with quickness that has drawn some scouts to compare him to Kevin Garnett.

He lacks Garnett's toughness and motor, however, and that's why he slid to No. 3 on our board this year. If he has a big season for Arizona, there's a good chance we'll be in a three-man race for the No. 1 pick.

Questionable/Absent Motor = not interested, for me.

He's what, 17.  Might want to be a little more patient with that assessment.

I'm not sure about that.  You can't teach someone how to play with effort or work hard, imo , but you never know, maybe that light will come on in college.  I just don't think that it's ever a good idea to draft someone in the hope that something clicks, upstairs . You either inherently possess that trait or you don't, in my view .

I don't know whether or not you can accurately judge a kid's motor when he's dominating his competition with ease. I'll reserve judgement on that until he starts playing college ball.

Fair enough, but KG and Thon Maker say otherwise, not to mention Kobe if we extend the analysis beyond big man prospects, which I have no interest in doing, btw, lol .