The Phoenix Suns are currently two wins away from being crowned NBA champions.
They have rode the backs of Devin Booker and Chris Paul all season long.
Both of them are All-Stars and have had incredible performances throughout the entire season.
Now with the NBA Finals taking place, their two best players are needed more than ever in order to win it all.
However, there is another member of the team that is needed as well.
That is Deandre Ayton.
He is their big man on the team and he has been great through the first three games, including an incredible Game 1.
DeAndre Ayton tonight:
22 points
19 rebounds
80% FGWhat a Finals debut 🔥 pic.twitter.com/31Q1hegGk6
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) July 7, 2021
That was his first ever NBA Finals game.
This is actually his third season in the NBA as a whole.
He was drafted with the first overall pick a few years ago.
The Suns have been ridiculed for that pick due to Trae Young and Luka Doncic following his selection.
Ayton is proving all of the doubters wrong and is dominating this series in three ways.
3. The Suns Need His Scoring Now
Ayton has done whatever the team needs during this Finals run.
He has not been a lethal scorer by any stretch.
Instead, he plays great defense, grabs some rebounds, and runs the floor well.
When they need a bucket from him, he can provide one.
However, that is not in the game plan for most of the game.
This series can be a little bit different.
Game 3 saw Booker struggle and especially in the first quarter.
That is when Ayton stepped up and provided a much-needed spark in that quarter.
With Devin Booker 1-7 from the floor to start, Deandre Ayton has 16 on 7-8 shooting. Pick and roll picking apart the Bucks defense as well. Phoenix is 68% on shots inside the arc.
— George Balekji (@GeorgeBalekji) July 12, 2021
Unfortunately, he fell into foul trouble and played fewer than 30 minutes in the game.
That game was a blowout win for the Milwaukee Bucks.
That might not be a coincidence with the foul issues Ayton was dealing with.
2. He is Their Only Big Man
An underrated incident happened in the Finals.
That was the injury that Dario Saric suffered.
He tore his ACL in Game 1 of the Finals.
That injury might not have seemed important, but it was.
He was their primary backup for Ayton.
Now with him gone, they are down to Frank Kaminsky, who has been awful in the minutes he has played.
The Suns are getting killed in the paint and that is due to Ayton being off the floor at times.
Whether it is a breather, or foul trouble, the Suns are in a bad shape when Ayton is off the floor.
1. Someone Needs to Guard Giannis
The best player in this series has been on the Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a force through the first three games.
The Suns have no answer for him inside the paint.
Their best option has been using Ayton to defend him.
After him, there is nobody even close that can contain him.
Jae Crowder and Frank Kaminsky cannot hold Antetokounmpo from scoring.
Ayton is strong and big.
He is not going to shut him down, but he can give a great effort.
Antetokounmpo is going to get his numbers and dominate.
However, Ayton gives the Suns the best matchup on defense.
NEXT: 2 Lingering Concerns For Suns Before NBA Finals Game 4