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PHOENIX SUNS

Dreams come true: Suns’ Deandre Ayton finally made a 3-pointer

Deandre Ayton shooting three-pointers has been a big talking point around the Phoenix Suns since he was drafted, and he finally made one on Thursday.

Phoenix Suns Center DeAndre Ayton (22) looks on before a NBA game between the Phoenix Suns and the ...

Phoenix Suns Center DeAndre Ayton (22) looks on before a NBA game between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers on December 17, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The wait and the talk during the wait have been lengthy.

The range on Deandre Ayton’s jumper out to the three-point line is something Phoenix Suns fans have been eager to see ever since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Ayton didn’t take them last year or this season despite the big fella consistently touting that he was looking forward to incorporating the shot into his game. That comes with the Suns saying themselves they were fine with him shooting from deep and they weren’t holding him back.

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As Ayton continued to look better and better practicing the shot outside of real games and as head coach Monty Williams sounded more serious about it being a thing this past week, it appears the Suns are at least ready to mildly incorporate it into sets.

In the Suns’ first scrimmage from Orlando against the Utah Jazz, we finally had landfall.

The arc on the shot that Williams mentioned being better can be seen on full display here.

It was a fun moment to see Williams give Ayton this free chuck over a typical baseline out of bounds play, potentially a birthday present for the now-22-year-old.

Now, will this be just that, a fun moment, or a serious development in Ayton’s game at the end of his second season?

We’ll know more on that in a few weeks.

Kellan Olson Suns reporter and co-host of Arizona Sports at Night

Kellan Olson is ArizonaSports.com's beat writer for the Phoenix Suns and a co-host of the Empire of the Suns podcast, as well as the intermittent night show Arizona Sports at Night. You'll also catch him covering other teams and frequently filling in… Read more

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