Comparing Suns' Ayton to Shaq's Big Fella of 'Uncle Drew'

For hoop heads who don't follow the college game, one of their first introductions to former Arizona freshman center Deandre Ayton might've been when he triumphantly declared that he'd be the Phoenix Suns' choice with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. That was over two weeks before the Suns did in fact pick Ayton at No. 1, a span during which the 7-foot-1, 260-pound big man was already signing Suns jerseys bearing his name.

From Joel Embiid to Dwight Howard, plenty of gregarious giants have populated the Association in recent history, but none left a larger mark than Hall of Fame center and current TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal, who'll be taking his comedic talents from the small screen to the silver screen as the appropriately named Big Fella in the upcoming film, "Uncle Drew."

Okay, the comparison with Shaq isn't perfect, but that's hardly Ayton's fault. No one in NBA history can claim to match the former's physical dominance around the hoop. At the height of his powers with the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s, Shaq stood 7-foot-1 and packed on between 340 and 370 pounds of mass. He looked like if Wilt Chamberlain had eaten Wilt Chamberlain.

Sure, the era of the hulking center is now largely finished as teams turn to slimmer, highly skilled big men with floor-spacing ability, but Ayton is about as throwback as it gets in 2018. He did attempt 35 total 3-pointers at Arizona, connecting on 12 (34.3 percent), but he's been at his best when parked deep in the opponent's paint.

And like Shaq, who was drafted No. 1 overall out of LSU by the Orlando Magic in 1992, the promise of Ayton's physical dominance was too great for Phoenix to pass up. Ayton's game is predicated on his ability to disrupt defenses in the low post, shaking and shimmying until he finds enough daylight to rise up for a high-percentage look around the rim. Other times, he simply powers over and through his matchup for an emphatic slam.

Deandre Ayton vs. Shaquille O'Neal (College)

Meanwhile, the Suns have already invested in an infrastructure that should help cover for Ayton's weaknesses. Devin Booker is coming off his third pro season in which he averaged 24.9 points per game and shot 38.3 percent on 7.1 3-point attempts per night. With him and Ayton on the court, defenses simply won't be able to double both franchise cornerstones.

And between Booker and 2017 draftee Josh Jackson, the Suns should be able to stymie dribble drives at the perimeter, buying Ayton precious time to develop his defensive positioning. While Ayton averaged 1.9 blocks per game in college, the defensive side of his game is something that's going to be a work in progress - not dissimilar to Shaq on the defensive end.

Still, unteachable size and athleticism can make up for a lot of missteps on both ends of the court, and for the Suns, simply getting an impact player capable of wowing the crowd for 82 games is a massive haul. If Ayton goes on to have 80 percent of Shaq's on-court career, the Suns will be very happy with their big investment.

Off the court, whether Ayton's gregariousness manifests itself in forays into movie stardom and hip hop remains to be seen, but Shaq has certainly paved the road for the latest No. 1 draft pick to follow.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)