After helping guide the Suns to a perfect 3-0 record over the past week, moving Phoenix to a Western Conference-best 13-6 on the season, center Deandre Ayton has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for Nov. 21-27, the NBA announced today. It marks Ayton’s first Player of the Week Award of his career.
Ayton averaged 23.7 points in the three games on 67.4 percent shooting, 16.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Having posted double-doubles in each of the three games on the week, Ayton extended his streak of such games to five, matching his career long streak for consecutive double-doubles. Over that five-game stretch he averaged 20.2 points on 66.7 FG%, 13.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 blocks, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo (2018-19) and Nikola Jokic (2021-22) as the only three players since the start of the 2014-15 season to average 20+ points, 13+ rebounds, 3+ assists and 1+ blocks, while shooting 66+ FG% over a five-game stretch in a single season; Antetokounmpo and Jokic each won MVP in the seasons they did so.
After opening up the week with 14 points and a then season-high 15 rebounds in a win over the Lakers on Nov. 22, Ayton scored a then season-high 28 points to go along with 12 rebounds in a 108-102 win over Detroit on Nov. 25. The 6-11 center then closed out the week with a dominating 29-point, 21-rebounds (both season highs) performance on the backend of a back-to-back on Nov. 26 against Utah. Ayton shot 11-of-19 from the field in the win, while his 21 rebounds matched his career high. The game marked his third career game with 20+ points and 20+ rebounds, and his performance was the first game with 29+ points and 21+ rebounds by a Suns player since Amar’e Stoudemire(33 points, 21 rebounds) on March 22, 2007 vs. Sacramento
The Suns currently hold a one-game lead over Denver for the best record in the Western Conference this season thanks to the team’s current four-game winning streak. Led by Ayton, the Suns hold the best home record in the NBA this season at 11-1 and are the only team in the league to rank in the top-five in offensive (third), defensive (fifth) and net rating (second), having also been the only team in the NBA to do so last season as well.