The future of center play in the NBA

[KillerLeft]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IGp16HM0hQ&ab_channel=XinProductions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVs05trUR44&ab_channel=AlexHoops

Some defense highlights. Multiple possessions where he contains guys like Morant, Lavine, Tatum, Giannis, and Luka.

Thanks for this. I learned a lot watching these. 

Most of his blocked shots are with the left hand, but he shoots right-handed, which is interesting. Probably makes him a bit scarier to ball-handlers in the paint. He absolutely does move his feet well on defense, and seems to be a good combo of agility and strength. 

Offensively, he's obviously a good screener, which always helps. Powell is really the only one of those they've had here in years. I knew he was a good roller, but we all know that's the first thing teams will take away from the Mavs, so I was interested to see how polished the rest of his offensive game has gotten. Three things surprised me, a little: 

1) he can floor the ball a little bit. Probably about as much as Powell, but it seems (from the highlights, at least) that he uses the dribble with more productive intent than Powell. Seems much more comfortable doing it, and appears to have a plan in mind. 

2) That midrange jumper isn't bad. The Mavs literally don't have a big with that in his arsenal at the moment. Porzingis had one, but they rarely went in. It's a real hole for Powell and Kleber, who won't even look at the rim on the short roll, when the defense backs off, making their already shaky dribbling and passing 10x more difficult. Judging by the second video, the Suns seem to try to set Ayton up for jump shots, even. Could this skill, over time, be extended out to the corner, I wonder?

3) The first thing that went through my head when we started the Ayton discussion yesterday was that acquiring him would put a stop to the recent progress the Mavs have made using their bigs in the high post or on the short roll to break the trap defenses Luka sees at times. Powell and Kleber have both made a little progress in this area while Wood has shown real promise here, I think. But, it looks like this is not quite the weakness in Ayton's game I suspected. Again, it's a highlight video, focusing on analysis of his strengths, but even just the evidence that he can do this at times is welcome. Several good, quick, decisive passes, sometimes after a deliberate dribble to inch a defender towards him, making for an easier pass and better shot for a teammate. 

I have to admit, I'm more intrigued now than I was 24 hours ago.