Deandre Ayton strolled around the practice court, talking and laughing with coaches and teammates following a two-hour workout with the Phoenix Suns.
It is clear he is comfortable operating in lofty surroundings, even on a morning in the mountains of Flagstaff, despite a sign on the wall that warned of the dangers of physical exertion at 7,000 feet of altitude.
Whats that, 7,000? Nah, I need more like 15. That was pretty light, Ayton quipped. I dont have that little chest burn feeling when youre at such a high altitude. It was fun.
So is winning. And the expectations are high for the former No. 1 draft pick, who is part of a promising 2018 NBA draft class that teams are looking at becoming the faces of rebuilding franchises.
Dallas guard Luka Doncic was the rookie of the year after averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and six assists per game. Atlantas Trae Young finished second in the voting, averaging 19.1 points and 8.1 assists. Ayton was third.
This summer, Ive never worked so hard in a gym before in my life, said the 21-year-old Ayton, who averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds. Ive seen these lines so many times, I see them in regular life now. They beat me to the ground this summer.
First-year Suns coach Monty Williams said Aytons development isnt as much about his physical skills because those have been evident all along. He said the guys who develop into great players are the ones who recognize the sweat equity involved.
They realize early in their first year that it takes a lot of work to be good, so their work ethic goes up that summer, Williams said. You see more consistent work from guys and a different mentality in the weight room. They take coaching a lot better because they know more stuff.
A look at some of the top second-year players in the NBA:
DONCIC, DALLAS MAVERICKS
The 6-foot-7 Doncic wowed the NBA with his combination of shooting, passing and knack for producing in clutch moments. And hes just 20 years old.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle expects improvement from Doncic in year two, but it might look a little different than others are expecting.
Hes playing with more players and more better players, Carlisle said. And hes playing with another star-caliber player with (Kristaps) Porzingis. The dynamics of the stats are going to be way different. I dont know what the whole things going to look like.
YOUNG, ATLANTA HAWKS
The 6-2 guard got off to a slow start as a rookie, which led to plenty of talk that the draft day Doncic-for-Young swap was going to end up heavily in favor of the Mavericks.
