Sun(day) On A Monday: Early Summer League Takeaways And Three New Welcomes
By Spencer Hann
Life On Planet Orange
1. Despite the fact the Phoenix Suns were left at the altar by LaMarcus Aldridge, some positives have come out of that situation over the course of the past week. In fact, these latest moves by Phoenix have started to make us forget all about our runner-up finish to Aldridge. Of course I’m making a pathetic attempt at a joke with that last statement, but honestly, I really like what the Suns have done!
- Sonny Weems, welcome! Phoenix has supposedly found their first guard off of the bench in an overseas transaction, and while I am not buying into that idea yet, I absolutely love the deal. For two years and $5.8 million (with an extremely smart team option on the second year), the Suns will receive the services of a 6’6″ shooting guard/small forward who can defend multiple positions with a lanky frame, shoot the long ball (never shot less than 35 percent from three-point range over the last three years playing overseas) and best of all, has a serious chip on his shoulder after failing to pick up an NBA offer over the course of the past two seasons.
- Ronnie Price, how ya doing? Long time no see! The Suns continued to strengthen their locker room by bringing in the defensive-minded third string point guard, a true pro’s pro. Pending a serious injury to either Brandon Knight or Eric Bledsoe (dammit I just jinxed it), Price will only be expected to play about 10 minutes a night AT MOST. And just as they will with Weems, the Suns should be the recipient of the point guard’s absolute best effort, playing on just a one-year, $1.5 million “prove yourself” type of deal. Honest to God, I really liked this deal, right up until I saw the Spurs acquire Ray McCallum for a second round pick. The NBA has officially chosen to lay down and watch San Antonio win the championship this year.
- Last but not least, my absolute favorite move of the past week and one of the most underrated signings of free agency: Mirza Teletovic. Another one-year, $5.5 million “prove yourself” kind of deal that, in my opinion, will seem like a steal by season’s end. Plagued by blood clots in his lungs for most of last season, Teletovic is now fully healthy and fully compatible with the Suns’ system. After shooting 39 percent from three-point range as a stretch-4 two years ago with Brooklynn, Teletovic will have every chance to equal or pass that mark out here in the desert. And sticking with the summer memo, Phoenix picked another great locker room addition.
Phoenix got not just a good player but a great human being. @Teletovic33 is one of the finest human beings I have been around.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 9, 2015
2. After an 86-77 victory over the Wizards on Saturday and their first Summer League game in the books, one Sun left a serious impression on me. No, it wasn’t T.J. Warren and his 20 points on 53 percent shooting. It wasn’t Archie Goodwin, the Suns’ leading scorer with 22 points. And it wasn’t Alex Len, who looked stronger and more mobile than ever.
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The most impressive player for Phoenix on Saturday was, drum roll please, Mickey freakin’ McConnell! The Mesa native showed a poise with the basketball and a natural leadership trait that the other Suns point guards seemed to lack, while exhibiting an extreme pass-first mentality that was a refreshing changeup from the usual Suns’ guard play.
His three points and six assists don’t jump off the stat sheet by any means, but McConnell was a +10 on the day (second only to T.J. Warren’s +11) while committing zero turnovers.
3. In game two of Summer League for the Suns, and I had no choice but to acknowledge Warren and Goodwin. They flip-flopped their Saturday totals of 22 and 20 points respectively, in a 89-110 loss to Houston, with both showing serious efficiency in doing so.
Warren, who could be an All-Star eventually, shot 60 percent from the field, drove to the rim at will and looked extremely confident again. Goodwin shot 60 percent as well, but his game was the polar opposite from the old school, let the game come to him style of T.J. Warren. The Kentucky alum has come out of the gates blazing this summer.
Playing within a more muscular frame, Goodwin has shown serious intensity on defense, combined with his hyper-aggressive offense and greatly improved jumpshot.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Warren start at small forward (in fact, I expect it) and there is no doubt in my mind Goodwin, knowing this might be his last chance in Phoenix, will continue to impress and end up in the regular season rotation. The Suns want these players to be fixtures in the future and help in the present, through two games this past weekend, they’re off to a damn good start.
Memory Of The Week
In honor of Summer League starting, here’s the Suns’ most recent opportunity at a championship:
If I Were Archie Goodwin For This Week…
I’m doing EXACTLY what Archie has been doing! Give me 28 minutes against the Wizards on Saturday? Okay, let me drop 22. Now you want me out there for 27 minutes yesterday against Houston? All right, here’s another 20 on 60 percent shooting. You wanted me to be more aggressive? Okay, how’s 20 trips to the free throw line in two days sound to you?
Seriously, I’m loving what I am seeing from Goodwin so far. He has been terrific. However, the fact of the matter is that he really can’t afford NOT to be. Its simple math:
One sharpshooting Devin Booker + one do-it-all Sony Weems + one aggressive and ultra-athletic Archie Goodwin = not enough playing time to go around.
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Sir Charles In Charge
After Goodwin expressed his frustration with the Suns’ infatuation with having multiple guards last season, Phoenix went out and brought in two more this offseason. Not the greatest vote of confidence in Goodwin. And if I’m him, the signing of Weems in particular is extremely puzzling and frustrating to me.
Devin Booker will be given every opportunity by Phoenix to play big-time minutes with his ability to stretch out a defense, utilizing his range to open up driving lanes for Bledsoe and Knight. This would presumably leave Weems and Goodwin battling for minutes. Now, this is a competition Goodwin absolutely can’t afford to lose, with this coming year crucial to his development as a player.
He has done his part so far, gaining muscle in the offseason, refining his shot and coming out strong in Summer League, but consistency will be the key with the third year player. If I’m Goodwin, I’m well aware that if I fail to crack the regular rotation again this year, my time in Phoenix could come to an end. Every time I step on the court, I’m going to show I should be the first guard off the bench.
The Purple Connection
We all know the story by now (as told through various emojis). DeAndre Jordan committed to the Dallas Mavericks, then, having second thoughts, committed to a date with Blake Griffin. In the words of George Castanza from Seinfeld, “yada yada yada”… Jordan was a Clipper again!
This drastically changed the two franchise’s outlooks for this coming season and beyond, however, it also affected the Suns and the rest of the Western Conference playoff picture. Had Jordan stuck by his word and joined Dallas, the Mavericks would have been a surefire lock to make the playoffs, while the Clippers would have struggled to crack the top-five in the West. Now, thanks to Jordan, Dallas is back on the playoff bubble, while L.A. will surely reclaim their spot in the postseason.
Post free-agency, the opportunity to finally bring back playoff basketball to the Valley is there for Phoenix. Here is how the West stacks up in my eyes as of today, in the following order:
Favorites: Spurs, Warriors, Thunder
Challengers: Grizzlies, Rockets
Middle Of The Pack: Clippers
Who wants the seventh and eighth seed and a first round defeat: Pelicans, Jazz, Suns, Mavericks, Trail Blazers
Tweet Of The Week
Ok, Mirza is immediately one of my favorite Suns for this quote about his tough childhood. #IfIDieIDie #BallIsLife pic.twitter.com/qWB7gxLvxF
— sreekar (@sreekyshooter) July 10, 2015
The first Q&A of the year for “Sun(day) On A Monday” will be released when preseason starts. It will belong to that man above, who has an incredible story that needs to be heard.
Next: Phoenix Suns Summer League Game 2 Recap