this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2023
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He has career averages of 17/10, and was a critical piece on a Finals team. Yet you can't help but feel like he's been a huge disappointment relative to his draft position.

In a vacuum, meaning ignoring who he was drafted over, is Ayton a bust for a #1 pick?

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[–] FlowVoids@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Nah, he's like Wiggins. Disappointment, but not a bust.

[–] jbenson255@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Disappointment relative to what was expected from him but he’s not a bust

[–] biinroii01@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

hes having a pretty solid season

[–] batmans420@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

He's not a bust. He just hasn't lived up to expectations. There's a difference

[–] agk927@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

No. Wtf lol, you can't call a good player a bust

[–] Crafty-Document-3340@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

He's afraid to shoot FTs. He's a buster, that's for sure.

[–] HotspurJr@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

People use the word bust way too liberally. I'm not a big fan but this is absurd.

Ayton is somewhere close to average for the #1 pick in the 21st century. Maybe a little bit below it, but not a lot.

[–] OfficialARTtheClown@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Phoenix should’ve took Luka

[–] angel2timez@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I can see him easily having a 12+ career which is far from bust. You guys are comparing him to luka. 17/10 is great career numbers lol

[–] inshamblesx@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

it coulda been worse

[–] referee-superfan@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Near all star isn’t really a bust. He’s overpaid and not necessarily what people want out of a number 1 pick. But he could realistically contribute on a contender and has been a good part of a finals appearance.

[–] Ok-Swimming8024@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

So happy they Suns matched the Pacers offer. Saved our franchise

[–] cock-a-dooodle-do@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

James Wiseman defines the bust standard. Now ask yourself if Ayton meets that standard? But he also calls himself DOMINAYTON, and he is definitely bust by his own standard.

[–] legend023@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

For the #1 pick

Has he gotten better since his 2nd season? That answers your question right there, and usually a first overall pick should be on his first team more than 5 years (unless he forces himself out)

[–] whatitdobabyyy@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Nah a bust is for example, Wiseman loool

[–] erictmo@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I think Poole is closer to being a bust than Ayton.

[–] pinktwhite@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Nah he definitely needs a good point guard to set him up to for Dominayton though

[–] Ocean_Bee@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Ayton is not a bust, delete this.

[–] TotalReflection@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

No anthony bennett was a bust

[–] excessivefreethyme@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Chuck killed me on inside the NBA talking about Deandre. "A grown man can't wear pearls" lol

[–] morcic@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Bust for being #1 pick, but he's not a bust in terms of being a solid NBA role player. Overpaid now, but that will get corrected in his next contract. [insert NBA2k joke reference]

[–] dkdoki@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Ppl really don’t understand what a bust means.

[–] U-casualty@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Not a bust. Not worth the #1 pick

[–] be__bright@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

This question has been posed and discussed many times already this season. He's a good but not perfect player who is not top of the league for his position but still in the upper echelon. Questions like this seem to generally come from Suns fans who inexplicably continue to take pleasure in tearing the man down even though he no longer plays on their team. Blazer fans don't do the same with Nurkic. We are happy for his success in Phoenix and also happy to have DA on our team now. Concerns over his performance should be largely left to our fan base to debate, unless or until he becomes available for trade.

[–] itchypitbull@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

bust? thats ridiculous. He hasnt turned into a mega superstar but very few do.

Look at the next year, the #1 was zion. He is a better player on the court, but he has missed half his career so far.
The year before ayton was Fultz who missed time and is averaging 11/3
the year before was Simmons who missed a lot of time and has 17/8

2014 was wiggins who is in the same boat. He has 19/5. decent player, but never first option superstar level.
Before that you had Anthony Bennett......well, you could use that word bust with him.

and before that you had Wall and Griffin who averaged 18/4 and 19/8

Out of all those guys wiggins is the only one with a championship.

Dude might not be international superstar level, but he is far from a bust. He is reliable and a decent starter night after night.

[–] popopo__123@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Not meeting expectations =/ Bust. Ayton is a good player with room to grow and is a quality starter at his lowest, a bust wouldn't be in the league.

[–] InsideAcanthisitta23@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Not even close. He’s probably the expected value of 1st overall or better.

[–] SG-2000@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Even at pick number 1 pick it’s hard to call an ok starter a bust.

Regardless, he’s got plenty of time to redeem himself. Like Wiggins. He’ll be in the league another 10 years at least.

[–] horeaheka@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

There should really be a clear definition for bust. To me Ayton is underperforming for a number 1 pick. He is not in the same category as Anthony Bennet or Olawakandi and if he had been picked 6th or later would be looked at as a good pick who became a serviceable starter. He will probably have a similar career to Drummond and no one is calling Andre a bust. If Ayton had been picked around the 7th or 8th slot then there would not be this push to call him a bust. Obviously a much better player was picked after Ayton but ultimately the term bust should be reserved for a high draft pick (top 3) who goes on to have a short career or a statistically unproductive one.

Marvin Williams - Under performed for his draft position but was a serviceable player for several years so he 's not a real bust

Hasheem Thabeet- Straight up bust who never cracked the starting line up and had a short career

Anthony Bennett- Straight up bust

Wiggins - Under performed for his draft position and the expectations he had prior to entering the league but he has been a serviceable player who was a guy on a championship team but not THE guy on a championship team.

Ayton is just gonna be like Andre Drummond or Clint Capella, good center who works as a complimentary player to a good team but never THE Guy on a contender.

[–] ogqozo@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Ah, the daily "he's not a bust, he just [the dictionary definition of a bust]".

[–] Smekledorf1996@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I’m ready for the ‘Ayton’s not a bust, he’s only a [insert definition of a bust]’ comments

[–] rumblegod@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

No lol. He’s a good player. But yes he had higher expectations.

He’s a guy with physical tools that’s happy to be in the nba and make some cash. He’s not a I want to be the best type player and that’s okay

[–] Medium-Passenger9602@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Compare the feeling Suns fans had when they selected him first overall to how they currently feel.

If it's substantially worse than what their expectations originally were, then the pick is a disappointment. AKA a "bust."

[–] DigOlBick99@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Absofuckinglutely

[–] tapk69@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

If the team that drafted you as a number 1 overall, trade you as soon as they can you are probably a bust. Luka, SGA or even JJJ were available, Suns could be feasting on everyone and wouldnt even need to trade for KD.

[–] Overall-Palpitation6@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Let's see how he does when his new Portland teammates actually pass him the ball, before making a final judgement. If he fails with a 25-30 USG%, then he probably is a bust.

[–] ericdeben@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

He’ll be a very good role player in the league for a while. A bust is if you’re so bad that you’re out of the league in a few years.

[–] JoeTheHoe@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Not a bust, just not an all star. The issue really is that his skillset isn’t really what you need at his position. In a different era, things may have gone a lot better for him.

[–] qpwoeor1235@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Do people not know what a bust is? Darko, Bennet, Herzonja, Dragan Bender. High lottery picks that are straight trash. Ayton was pretty good in Phoenix and not unplayable.

[–] SnooPies5622@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

He was a #1 pick drafted ahead of Doncic, JJJ, and Trae Young. He's a bust.

[–] itchy_sanchez@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I wonder who the worst no.1 pick was who isn't considered a bust? It'll probably be someone like Ayton, Bogut or Elton Brand. (Couldn't be bothered looking too far back.)

[–] azcardfan7@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Not a bust, but definitely the most frustrating player I've ever watched closely. Everything is right there for him to be dominant...except the heart.

[–] MITBilalCoulibaly@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I don't know about Ayton, but Bilal is most definitely not a bust.

[–] cruelrunnings@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago
[–] Bballopinion@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

A 17/10 guy is never going to bust. Sure he's a disappointment but not a bust.

Bust is a term reserved for the Anthony Bennetts, Kwame Browns, Markelle Fultz, James Wisemans of the world.

[–] herseyhawkins33@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Look at all the #1 picks. In no way is he a bust. I also think the blazers' myriad of guard injuries to start the year isn't helping him. Let's revisit his production again at the all star break.

[–] ejiggle@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Man, two years ago they were calling him Baby Shaq lol. Absolutely balled and helped carry the Suns to a Finals appearance.

His motor is questionable, but his biggest issue has been playing on bad teams with a bunch of dudes who hog the ball and can't pass lol. Not a coincidence he blossomed next to Chris Paul.

He'll never be an all-NBA guy, but in the right situation, he could be a key piece on a championship, similar to Wiggins.

[–] BrilliantLoli@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Well if you could have had Dončić - obviously.

[–] velphegor666@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

He's alright. Maybe on the lower tier of no.1 picks but not a bust