2018 NBA Prospect Report Part 1: DeAndre Ayton

Rebounding

Deandre Ayton’s energy and sheer brute force on the glass are remarkable.

He has both the tools and instincts to be a star on the NBA boards. He uses his quick-twitch standstill leaping ability to sky for misses as soon as they bounce off the rim, often leveraging his lower body to box out defenders, using his springy second-jump ability to tip contested balls his way and/or using his length to reach over opponents.

Sometimes his opponents cannot do anything but foul. In fact, his foul rate on putbacks (15 percent per Synergy) would be the NBA’s third highest rate in NBA.

In the clip above, he tips the ball out over four Oregon Ducks defenders and draws a foul.

This is not a rebound per se, but it is still an excellent example of how NCAA opponents simply do not stand a chance against Ayton when there is a loose ball around the basket. Whether it is with his strength, intelligence, reach or some combination of those, Ayton will find the ball, grab it and do something good with it.

In this case, it is throwing down a monster dunk.

His rebounding numbers — an offensive rebound percentage of nearly 12 percent, defensive rebound percentage of nearly 30 percent and 11.3 rebounds per game — are historically elite. Especially considering he often plays power forward with Rstic at center.

If Ayton is your main man in the middle, with starter’s minutes he could be a solid 11-13 rebound per game guy in the NBA considering both his size and his willingness to make second efforts. That is something the Magic have missed for quite some time.

That brings us to the defensive end, where Ayton has work to do.