Hollinger: Blazers Center Deandre Ayton Makes ‘All-Breakout Team’

Portland Trail Blazerscenter Deandre Ayton struggled in his season debut on Oct. 25 against the Los Angeles Clippers, but he picked it up two days later against the Orlando Magic. Ayton scored 14 points on 7-9 shooting while hauling in 15 rebounds in the 102-97 loss.

Ayton was the most high-profile player Portland got in return from the Damian Lillard deals. As he continues to find his footing with his new team, the potential is there for Ayton to play a much bigger role at a much higher level than he did during his time with thePhoenix Suns.

At least that’s how The Athletic’s John Hollinger sees it.Hollinger named Ayton as one of 12 members on his “All-Breakout Team,”a listed compiled of players he believes are ready for a big jump this year.

Hollinger said the biggest difference for Ayton this season will be opportunity, giving the big man the chance to show off more of the offensive skills that helped him go No. 1 overall in 2018.

Don’t despair, Suns fans: Whatever Ayton does in Portland this season, it was never happening in Phoenix. He just wasn’t going to have the kinds of opportunities there that he’s likely to get with the Blazers. The result could be a much more potent scorer than we’ve seen.

One of the things that stood out about Ayton as a draft prospect was his ability to face up and score from the post. While his line-drive shot doesn’t scale to the 3-point line, he can get it away quickly and accurately from 15 feet. He shoots 46 percent career from 10 to 16 feet, for instance, and that can open other lanes for him as a go-to low-post scorer. Could he be a LaMarcus Lite in the Rose City?

Granting him a high-usage role with the Suns’ perimeter talent would have been organizational malpractice, but it’s a different story in Portland. With a very young backcourt and a paucity of depth, Ayton may be the first option and see his scoring average increase sharply. His game should be able to scale up without hurting his percentages, especially because Ayton seems to be enthused about the change of scenery. A 20-point scoring average on 60 percent true shooting doesn’t seem far-fetched.

Ayton was listed with NBA players such asHouston Rocketsforward Jabari Smith Jr.,Minnesota Timberwolvesguard Anthony Edwards andToronto Raptorsforward Scottie Barnes, among others. You can read the piecehere[subscription required].

Ayton has another opportunity on Sunday afternoon to adjust to his surroundings and assert himself as a force on this Blazers roster. Portland will face thePhiladelphia 76ersat 4:30 p.m. PDT, and 76ers center Joel Embiid is questionable to play. If the reigning MVP doesn’t suit up, Ayton could be in for a big performance.