Size - Great positional size at 7'0" with a 7'5" wingspan. NBA body with broads shoulders. Physically mature for his age

Offensive skills - Good low post scoring instincts, Good hands, Has ability to stretch the floor and make 3's and solid face up game

Low Post Scoring - Patient in the post, solid footwork and a nice touch around the rim

Rebounding - Double digit rebounder; Cleans offensive glass

Athleticism - Good athlete, agile and moves well laterally

Running the floor - Has the physical tools to be a solid rim runner on next level

Defense - Has the physical tools to have a major defensive presence with his length and mobility

WEAKNESSES

Motor/Energy - Has a tendency to float and not dominate games he should especially on defensive end

Screening - Does not always make solid contact on screens

Shot selection - Can fall in love with jump shot and settle for contested jumpers 

Bringing ball low - Needs to do a better job at keeping the ball high instead of bringing it low where he can get stripped

Defensive instincts - Despite his athleticism, length and quick leaping ability is not a great rim protector..

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RAFAEL BARLOWE - NOVEMBER 11, 2017

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Arizona freshman DeAndre Ayton has all the tools to be a dominant center in the NBA for the next 10 years. Blessed with excellent positional size at 7'0, broad shoulders, a massive wingspan, athleticism and a shooting touch, from a physical and talent standout there's nothing Ayton can not do on the basketball court.

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Ayton is an amazing athlete for a man his size, he's mobile enough to be a switch defender and fast enough to run the floor with the wings. In the post Ayton is patient and has a decent feel for the game and soft touch around the rim. He doesn't rush shots and looks for the double team before making his moves. Ayton has good hands, makes tough catches in traffic and usually finishes strong at the basket.

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Ayton's potential as an inside outside threat is what makes him such an intriguing prospect. He has a face up game from the mid post and looks comfortable shooting the 3 from the college line. He does have a tendency to settle for too many long shots but that could be due to spacing issues on Arizona's roster. Ayton projects to be even better offensively with NBA spacing, where he'll have a better chance to showcase his ability to put the ball on the floor against slower defenders closing out.

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As far as weaknesses, the main areas of concern for me are his motor and energy on the defensive end. It's a combination of lack of effort, low instincts and low IQ. For a man his size with his gifts he should be a dominating presence around the basket. Ayton is also a weak screener who often fails to make contact on screens. 

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It's still very early in the season so his defense has plenty of time to improve and Ayton still should be in strong consideration for the #1 pick in 2018.

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RAFAEL BARLOWE - NOVEMBER 30 , 2017

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Strengths:

Size: Physically developed, 7’1” 250 lbs with long arms. He’s looks the part.
Range: Potential to stretch the floor. Percentages don’t reflect but he’s comfortable popping in PNR and spitting up.
Motor: Sprints the floor like a guard and gets good position rim running.
Athlete: Extremely agile, great athlete for a 7 footer. Plays well above the rim.
Skilled: Good post game, can face up or play with his back to the basket. Has drop step on baseline and jabs when he faces up.
Hands: Excellent touch around the basket with either hand, catches everything thrown to him.

Weaknesses:

Footwork: kind of sloppy at times, will travel and traffic or when doubled.
Jump shot: Though he’s a willing shooter, his percentages are poor outside of the paint largely due to his flat trajectory on his jump shot.
Defense: He’s not interested in playing the other side of the ball and not a rim protector, not solely on him but guards didn’t fear driving the lane. He’s not a rim protector (barely 1 block per game.) Gets way out of position on PNR, struggled to recover to stretch big and over hedges the ball handler giving up slips to the basket.
His lateral quickness on defense will be tested, he’s on his heels
Attitude: Is he mean? I feel like he should be cussing people out asking for more touches. Also, doesn’t always finish strong at the basket.
 

JAMES BARLOWE - NOVEMBER 30, 2017