With the new additions via free agency, June’s NBA Draft, in the front office and at head coach, the Phoenix Suns came into the 2019-20 season with positive vibes for the first time in many years. Those positive vibes took a serious blow though last weekend with one half of their 1-2 punch being shelved by the league office.
Second-year center of the Phoenix Suns Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft a year ago out of the University of Arizona, who averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds as a rookie was suspended for 25 games last Thursday for 25 games due to violation of the NBA and National Basketball Player Association’s (NBPA) anti-drug policy after he tested positive for a diuretic.
According to the NBPA, diuretics are illegal for NBA players to use because they can mask the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
The NBPA stated they would immediately plan to file an arbitration on Ayton’s behalf with the belief there would be a case to reduce or rescind the harsh penalty based on, according to a league source telling ESPN, a collective bargaining agreement provision of “unintentional ingestion.”
“I want to apologize to my family, the entire Suns organization, my teammates, partners, our fans and the Phoenix community,” Ayton, would stands to lose $2.17 million over the 25-game suspension if it holds up said in a statement last week. “This was an unintentional mistake and unfortunately I put something in my body that I was completely unaware of.”
“I do understand the unfortunate impact that this has on so many others, and for that I am deeply sorry. I’m extremely disappointed that I’ve let my team down. I will continue to work with the NBPA to go through arbitration and am hopeful of a positive resolution.”
The Suns also issued a statement about this rough moment via general manager James Jones stating, “On behalf of the Phoenix Suns organization, (coach) Monty Williams and I are disappointed in the actions by Deandre Ayton that led to his testing positive for a banned diuretic and subsequent suspension by the NBA. This does not uphold the standards and principles we have set for the team.”
“Deandre has expressed his deepest remorse. While he is suspended, we remain committed to his growth and development on and off the court. His actions are not taken lightly, and we are committed to ensuring that Deandre understands the profound impact it has had on the team, organization, and Suns community.”
The one silver lining of this very disappointing situation with Ayton is that, according to ESPN’s NBA Senior Insider Adrian Wojnarowski he called owner Robert Sarver on Thursday night to tell him about what he did and while publicly the Suns front office issued the stern statement they did, privately they have been very supportive of their starting big man. That said, the team is expecting to have that suspension reduced or rescinded.
A source with knowledge of Ayton’s testing said to ESPN that a follow-up test did not show any trace of other banned substances.
“Well, I mean to me it’s not really something that should be pointed at the player,” six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen said on Friday’s edition of ESPN’s “NBA: The Jump” on Ayton not being the only one at fault in this situation.
“I think it has to go a little further. It has to do with the trainer. Players don’t normally go and put the meds in them. They don’t normally judge how their body is looking, whether they need to put on weight in their recovery.”
“So, to me it falls in the hands of his medical staff or the trainer. I’m sure he’s got a different trainer than what the team had put forward. But you are a little disappointed and if I was his teammate, I would be a little bit down because as a young team you want to get off to a good start and any setback threatens your opportunity of being in the postseason.”
What made this news even more difficult is that it was on the heels of Ayton’s performance of 18 points, 11 rebounds and four block shots in the comeback 124-95 win by the Suns (3-2) versus the current winless Sacramento Kings (0-5) in their season opener a week ago.
Without Ayton, the Suns offensive attack will center around the other half of their hopeful 1-2 punch for years to come in five-year veteran Devin Booker, who averaged 26.6 points a season ago, with hopefully major contributions from the off-season acquisitions in lead guard Ricky Rubio; big men in Aron Baynes, who Coach Williams said will be the starter in the absence of Ayton; Frank Kaminsky III, and Dario Saric; and rookies in sharp-shooter Cameron Johnson out of the University of North Carolina and reserve guard Ty Jerome from the defending NCAA champion University of Virginia Cavaliers.
“That’s the beauty of what James has done all summer, was give us depth and versatility,” Williams said. “Aron has started a number of games in his pro career and we’re looking forward to our guys playing off Aron as the anchor of our defense.”
The Suns since the loss of Ayton have gone 2-2, garnering a 121-110 win at the five-time defending Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors (1-3) on Wednesday night, who they outscored 32-4 to close the first quarter and never looked back.
Devin Booker, who turned 23 yesterday led the way with 31 points on 10 for 21 shooting, including 6 for 10 from three-point range, while getting a double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds with seven assists and three block shots from Ayton’s understudy in Aron Baynes. Forward Dario Saric had 16 points, nine boards, five assists and five steals, while new lead guard Ricky Rubio added 14 points and seven assists. Rookie sharp-shooter Cameron Johnson added 12 points off the bench and Kelly Oubre, Jr. chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds.
This Suns victory is on the heels of a 108-107 loss at the Denver Nuggets (3-1) on Friday night in overtime, their first game following Ayton’s suspension, which they followed up with a big 130-122 win versus the Los Angeles Clippers (3-2) the next night, thanks to 30 points and eight assists by Booker; 20 points from Kelly Oubre, Jr.; 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists from Frank Kaminsky III; 15 points and 10 rebounds from Saric and 14 points, eight boards and two block shots from Baynes.
On Monday, the Suns dropped a tough one versus the Utah Jazz (4-1) 96-95 after guard Donovan Mitchell split a pair of free throws after getting fouled on drive to the basket with 00.4 seconds left.
The one issue for Baynes is that he has spent much of his career as a backup and only being an occasional starter that never averaged over 18 minutes in his early stops with the Boston Celtics last season, the Detroit Pistons, and the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.
That will surely change from now until the middle of December where Ayton, unless the suspension is reduced, would be eligible to return to the Suns’ lineup on Dec. 17 against the Clippers.
While Baynes should replace some of the rebounding and defense lost by Ayton, the aforementioned Booker will have to do much more heavy lifting at the offensive end.
Booker called Ayton “a force” that will be missed but the only option is to go out on the hardwood, compete and win as many games as possible until he returns.
“It’s the NBA, you have to view it as an injury,” the former Kentucky Wildcat said of Ayton’s suspension. “Everybody goes through injuries during the season where teammates miss games. It’s the next man up mentality.”
After winning their opening contest of the new season versus the Kings on Wednesday night, the Phoenix Suns hoped that was the start of their big leap in the standings after a difficult 19-63 campaign a season ago, their eighth straight season missing the playoffs. Those hopes took a major blow last week when center Deandre Ayton was suspended due to violating the NBA/NBPA’s Anti-Drug policy for 25 games.
“This just is an absolute false start for them and for him because he really did have a quality rookie season,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Friday about Ayton.
“For an organization that’s had nothing but disappointments the last decade, even under that it is extremely disappointing. And the Suns frankly based on their statement don’t sound like their expecting a reprieve…I think they should expect him to miss the 25 [games].”
Suns’ head coach Monty Williams, who is fond of saying that every NBA team will go through a lot of “stuff” during the long 82-game season. The Suns are going through that right now, but the one thing that Coach Williams made very clear is that they will not use Ayton’s suspended absence as an excuse of losing games.
“Every week there is adversity in the NBA,” Coach Williams said last Friday at the Suns’ morning shootaround before their loss at the Nuggets. “New Orleans playing without Zion (Williamson). Sacramento is without (Marvin) Bagley (III). There’s stuff for every team. We have some adversity right here in front of us and we have to deal with it well, do it together and we’ll be better for it.”
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 10/24/19 www.nba.com story “Suns Center Deandre Ayton Suspended for 25 Games by NBA,” by David Brandt of “The Associated Press;” 10/24/19 www.espn.com story, “Suns’ Deandre Ayton Tests Positive for Diuretic, Gets 25-Game Suspension,” by Adrian Wojnarowski; 10/25/19 3 p.m. edition “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Brian Windhorst, Scottie Pippen, and Michael Wilbon; 10/25/19 7 p.m. edition of ESPN’s “NBA: Countdown, presented by Mountain Dew with Maria Taylor, Jalen Rose, Jay Williams, Paul Pierce, and Adrian Wojnarowski; 10/26/19 www.nba.com story, “Suns Regroup After Ayton’s 25-Game Suspension,” by David Brandt of “The Associated Press;” http://www.espn.com/nba/standings; https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameid=401160677; https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameid=401160707; https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameid=401160691; and https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3136193/devin-booker.
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