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TomShoe 11 years, 11 months ago.
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- Posted on: Sat, 05/19/2012 - 4:27pm #39289
- Posted on: Sat, 05/19/2012 - 4:36pm #671734
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Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireTerrence Ross would make sense for the Suns if they continue with a fast-paced offense.Going back just a few years, the Phoenix Suns had an identity and their style of play was action packed. It was the "seven seconds or less" offense, led by the incomparable Steve Nash, coached by Mike D’Antoni, anchored by Amare Stoudamire and featuring Shawn "The Matrix" Marion.
However, if Nash chooses to leave Phoenix this summer in order to play for a contender, the last vestige of that prolific scoring team will be gone. Sure, there still would be some talent remaining, even enough at one particular spot to allow the Suns to focus on other positions. But with Nash gone there no longer is any semblance of an identity. What is the plan going forward and how is this new team going to play? Who they draft might shed some light on the answer, or prove that they are still trying to answer that question.
Bad fits: Any center
Phoenix’s one strength lies in its two centers, Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez. A dual column of centers is a luxury every team would love to have and build around. Gortat will be the best returning player on this team if Nash departs, and Lopez is a proven and capable backup (though he has the potential for better). Considering the glaring holes that exist elsewhere on the roster, drafting any center makes no sense.
Kind of fits: All perimeter players
Though the Suns need to see more from last year’s lottery pick, Markieff Morris, they saw enough to feel like they can focus on all three perimeter positions to fill more of a need. That’s not to say that if a legit top-eight candidate drops to them — especially if he’s a power forward — they wouldn’t take him; they probably will. The likely choices among perimeter players are not as highly valued as some of the bigs who could drop. But assuming John Henson and Perry Jones are gone, the guess here is that given a choice between Terrence Jones and some of the guards/wings listed below, they’ll choose the smaller players and let Morris have another year to develop.
It stands to reason that players like Damian Lillard and Kendall Marshall entered the draft in part because they knew one of them would likely have Phoenix as his landing spot if he slid on draft night. The Suns, with or without Nash, need to begin the post-Nash process. If they are off the board as expected, the Suns’ slot is open to other positions. Shannon Brown and Michael Redd are Phoenix’s shooting guards, so it makes sense that the Suns will look to fill that hole before drafting a small forward, where Jared Dudley has developed into a decent player starting or coming off the bench.
Terrence Ross makes a lot of sense if head coach Alvin Gentry (D’Antoni’s assistant when Nash led the best offense in basketball) hopes to continue to play fast. Ross can run and shoot, and has a little bit of a young Joe Johnson in his game. His quickness also adds something to the wing grouping the Suns currently lack. The Suns are long on skill on the wing, but short on quickness and speed.
Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesAustin Rivers would have to learn the point, but could develop as an effective combo guard.Austin Rivers makes more sense if Phoenix wants more of a ballhandling guard, considering how few of them the Suns have on the current roster. Rivers has a lot to prove if he hopes to be a point guard, but it seems likely he’ll be able to be a competent (if not very good) combo guard, allowing him to be able to play alongside most any free-agent acquisition. Losing Nash means they are losing possibly the best shooter in NBA history, as well as one of the most gifted passers ever to play. Any system they employ going forward will struggle to be even 80 percent as efficient as it would be if Nash played. Rivers will never be Nash as a passer, but there is the potential for him to be a terrific shooter.
Jeremy Lamb is a lot like Ross, though he’s more of an enigma. He can disappear from games like Rudy Gay did back at UConn (and now does in Memphis), but he also played a huge role for the national champs just a season ago and for some recent Team USA events. His arm length gives him an advantage on the defensive end, but his style of play at UConn was wholly different than what it would be in Phoenix (again, if Gentry keeps his offense intact). Lamb looks very good using pin-down action or multiple screens to free him for wing shots, something Nash’s teams simply did not feature. Lamb probably could make the adjustment, and should excel in transition, but it is a cause for concern. Some players who put up points when the offense is geared for them struggle to do the same when the offense is more fluid.
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