In my opinion, Gani Lawal’s performance during the Las Vegas Summer League should guarantee him a roster spot, especially with the Suns looking to replace the production of Amar’e Stoudemire. There is a lot to like about Gani Lawal’s game, but he does need to improve his outside shot before he can truly be a factor for the Phoenix Suns. Even with that iffy jumper, I can see him being a spark guy coming off the bench and giving good and physical minutes in spurts.

From the three games I watched, I would echo many of the points Sebastian makes. I was particularly impressed with how Lawal ran the floor for a big. He would take off like a gazelle once a rebound was corralled, and such hard running will pay off when Steve Nash is on the floor with you.

He also did live at the free-throw line, and Lawal himself admits that his free-throw shooting needs significant work.

If Lawal can take this season to develop a jump shot and improve at the line, the Suns could have a second-round steal on their hands. If not, he projects to be a serviceable bench player nonetheless.

Clark’s average summer league performance

Bassy also breaks down the highs and lows of Earl Clark’s summer league stint, which I have previously discussed at length.

Pruiti writes:

Clark’s Summer League performance was average at best with a few great plays sprinkled in, showing flashes of what Suns’ fans hope Earl Clark can become with more playing time.  However, for the most part during Summer League, I saw an unwillingness to attack the basket from Clark.

Pruiti delves into some of the finer points of why Clark struggled in the half court during summer league, often settling for a mid-range jumper instead of attacking the rim. He also applauds Clark for some of his open-court abilities, which should mesh nicely with Steve Nash.

Can Earl Clark become a valued rotation player for the Suns or is more time on the pine in his future? (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

LAS VEGAS — Immediately after the Phoenix Suns selected Earl Clark with the 14th overall pick in the 2009 draft, then-GM Steve Kerr doubted Clark would get much playing time as a rookie behind reserve forwards Jared Dudley and Lou Amundson.

At the time I thought it was undoubtedly a motivational tactic, as the Suns didn’t make the multi-talented Clark a lottery pick so he could sit behind a pair of unheralded bench guys to that point.

Of course, as things played out, Dudley and Amundson enjoyed breakout years while Clark found himself as the 11th man on a 10-man team much to my surprise.

With how deep the Suns ended up being, I figured we could chalk that up to the Suns’ depth allowing Clark to take a redshirt year and I immediately expected bigger things from Clark in 2010-11, especially after head coach Alvin Gentry proclaimed at the end of the season: “I’ll be really disappointed if he’s not a part of our rotation next year.”

When Amare Stoudemire left, the Suns seemed destined to have to rely on Clark. A gaping hole remained at the forward spot and Clark even admitted at the start of summer league that “of course it’s better for me” that Amare left.

But two major happenings of the last week have put Clark’s immediate future as a rotation player for the Phoenix Suns in doubt.

First of all, the Suns traded for Josh Childress and Hedo Turkoglu. Childress, like Clark, is a spectacular athlete who can guard multiple positions. Turkoglu, like Clark, should log serious time at the three and four as a multi-talented forward (who is actually proven at doing multi-talented things in the NBA).

Their additions on paper push Clark back to the 11th man on a 10-man team status that he was so familiar with last season. Of course, a move could be made to change that, but as things stand, the Suns are very deep at the forward position that Clark plays.

The second reason is more of a disappointment because it pertains to things Clark can control. He showed up to summer league in less than tip-top shape, according to both Clark and summer coach Dan Majerle, and then produced an overall lackluster performance for a Suns squad that could only beat the D-League summer team.

For the week, Clark averaged 14.8 points on 37.1 percent shooting to go with 5.0 boards and 1.4 assists per game. The so-called defender also averaged less than a block and steal per contest as well as 3.4 turnovers per game.

Like in the regular season, Clark often settled for jumpers, and when he drove the lane the results weren’t always pretty.

“He’s a good player, he’s very talented,” said Majerle, which is often where descriptions of Clark start. “He’s just got to figure it out, and he will. He didn’t get a lot of playing time last year, and Earl’s just got to figure a way now to not only make himself better but make his teammates better because he’s one of those players that’s got that kind of tools. He hasn’t figured it out yet.”

No, he hasn’t, but will he?

I’m not ready to jump off the Earl Clark bandwagon that I’ve been heading up since before the Suns even made him their selection.

As Clark himself will tell you, “I can do so much on the court, it’s just putting it together and knowing when to use it.”

In theory this is true, but even in summer league Clark has yet to show bonafide NBA skills.

He settles for contested jumpers that he misses far too often (both in summer league and the NBA), he has been no better than a mediocre rebounder and even on a team in which he could be the star he hasn’t exactly been a play maker.

Majerle suggested that things will be a lot easier for him when he’s playing with Suns regulars, but if he couldn’t create on a team on which he was “The Man” then how will he do that for the real Suns?

Goran Dragic, for one, is optimistic. I asked Goran before the playoffs started if he sees Clark making a Dragic-esque leap during his sophomore season. After all, Goran looked completely lost much of his rookie year and then came out and was a completely different player last season.

“He just needs time like me,” Dragic said. “Every practice, I see the same resemblance. When he’s alone he has the shot, and I was the same. I think next year’s going to be totally different because now he knows the league and the players.”

Clark has all the tools to be a good NBA player and at 22 he still has time to figure it out.

He still has the length and athleticism to be the kind of versatile defender the Suns thought they had drafted, and in theory at least he has the tools to become a well-rounded offensive player as well.

If I’m Clark, along with making sure I’m in better shape for training camp than summer league, I would spend the next two months in the gym taking shots every day. He shouldn’t leave until he makes at least 500 of them. Then he needs to be more selective and stop taking the kind of bad shots that have plagued his career thus far.

It’s certainly frustrating for Suns fans to see a player so talented on paper struggle to make a dent in an already deep rotation. Clark has all the skills to be a rotation player in Phoenix for years to come, but if he doesn’t start putting it all together soon, the Suns are deep enough to banish him to the bench for at least another season.

Some players possess the burning desire to be great and maximize their talents. All Clark has to do is look down his bench and see a couple of guys in Channing Frye and Jared Dudley who busted their butts last summer and came back as much improved shooters.

Can Clark make a Dragic-like leap in Year 2 to become a trusted rotation player or will he help the Suns most next season by waving a towel?

The next few months, while nobody is watching, will largely determine that.

“I definitely feel like I can take a step up,” Clark said. “I have big shoes to fill. I don’t really know my role on the team as of right now. I’m just trying to prepare myself, get better and continue to grow as a player.”

The Summer Suns trailed by just one entering the fourth, but the Warriors pulled away while Phoenix scored just 13 in the deciding period.

Zabian Dowdell was the Suns’ star, contributing 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting and nobody else played particularly great.

Earl Clark hit just 5-of-16 shots to get his 14 points, but he added 10 boards and three assists for his first double-double of the summer. Gani Lawal chipped in with 14 on 6-for-15, and Taylor Griffin continued his atrocious shooting summer with five points on 2-for-6 marksmanship, but he did record a stellar +16 in 14 minutes.

On the other end of the +/- minus spectrum, Scottie Reynolds was -26 in 26 minutes, going for seven points on 3-for-8 shooting. It was his first poor performance after a pair of really nice outings (16 points in one game, nine assists in the other), and for that he earned an invitation to training camp, according to The Arizona Republic.

Reynolds deserves that shot, and while he could still choose to go to training camp somewhere else, I bet he will go with Phoenix considering the conversation I had on Monday with him about how similar the Suns are to Villanova and how well he feels his skills fit this system. I would like to see Reynolds make the roster.

That’s especially true considering Griffin looked nothing like an NBA player in Vegas. He hit just 7-of-30 shots (23.3 percent) and 2-of-12 from distance (16.7 percent). Griffin’s a good athlete, but he just doesn’t have the perimeter game necessary to be an NBA player.

I will get to Earl Clark in a full-length feature later today, but in short he did not impress this summer. Clark was the best player on this team, yet he did nothing to show he deserves to be part of the Phoenix Suns’ rotation in 2010-11.

Saving the best for last, Gani Lawal enjoyed a real productive summer. He was consistent throughout (scoring between 14-18 every game) and overall averaged 15.4 and 7.4 on almost 50 percent shooting. I’m not sure if he will earn rotation minutes this season, but he’s the kind of guy you could throw out for a few minutes at a time to do all the dirty work and make all the hustle plays. If he continues to develop his post game, the Suns might have a second-round find on their hands.

The Summer Suns lacked the high end talent of some of the other entries in Vegas, so their 1-4 record isn’t a surprise. Overall the play of Lawal and Reynolds should be seen as a positive development and the play of Clark and Griffin as a disappointment.

I skipped town Tuesday night (man, what a trip) so this analysis will be a little less comprehensive than the past few were.

In this one the Suns dropped a 93-82 decision to Cleveland behind a monster 34 and nine game from J.J. Hickson (no, this does not change my mind about February’s Amare to Cleveland possibilities).

Seth Pollack over at Bright Side writes that Earl Clark took a step back after playing his first decent game in Monday’s win over D-League Select. Clark went for 13 points on 6-for-14 shooting to go with just two boards, no assists and three turnovers. Those aren’t the kind of summer stats that will convince anybody he deserves a rotation spot, especially after the recent moves.

Earl’s lackluster play is undoubtedly the biggest disappointment of the summer. I expected him to be a different player during his sophomore season and to show signs of that this summer. By and large, he has looked like the same old Earl Clark during summer league.

However, he has not disappointed as much as Taylor Griffin, who is now 5-for-24 (20.8 percent) after another miserable game in which he scored two points on 1-for-4 shooting. He has looked nothing like an NBA player all week.

Scottie Reynolds sparked the Suns with eight points and nine assists. I chatted with head coach Alvin Gentry for a few minutes on Tuesday and he came away impressed with Reynolds’ summer debut the day before. He’s done enough in college to at least earn a camp invite for a team he feels fits his skills perfectly, and he could be an interesting prospect to keep in the Taylor Griffin role. He’s an electric enough player that he could eventually develop in the NBA.

Gani Lawal continued his solid summer with 16 points and eight boards. He’s come as advertised, and on a Suns team thin on legitimate post players, he certainly deserves a spot on this squad. I doubt he cracks the rotation, but he could in a few years with seasoning and he could help the Suns in spurts against big, physical teams.

Finally, Matt Janning impressed once again with 22 points on 9-for-14 shooting in 35 minutes of action. Majerle barely ever took him out because he’s such a heady player, always making the right decision, and in this game his shot clearly was on. I’m not sure if Janning has an NBA future because of what he lacks in the athleticism department, but he has the looks of a lucrative career in Europe in his future if nothing else.

Up next

The Suns finish up their summer league slate with a 3 p.m. game against Golden State that will be televised on NBA TV.

LAS VEGAS — Scottie Reynolds wasn’t even expected to play this week after suffering a strained Achilles working out at Villanova last week, his chance at making a summer league impression wasting away by the day.

But after feeling good at Sunday’s practice and Monday morning he came in and told Summer Suns coach Dan Majerle he could suit up, and Reynolds came off the bench to provide the kind of energy one would expect from a first-team All-American at summer league during Phoenix’s 96-88 victory over D-League Select.

“He brought a lot of spark pushing the ball, competitive, it was good to see,” said Summer Suns head coach Dan Majerle. “I’m glad he could play. He’s been wanting to play all week, but it’s kind of one of those things where you don’t want to push him and get him hurt, but I’m glad he was able to go out there and play, and hopefully he can bounce back and play next game, too.”

Reynolds felt good after the game but said with this kind of injury it’s more the next day that he’s most concerned about.

In his court time the Villanova star displayed a nice shooting touch, scoring 16 points on 4-for-6 marksmanship and hitting both threes he attempted. His strong play could be seen in the fact that Phoenix was +10 in his 19 minutes on the floor.

“Just being myself, just go out there and play the game of basketball the way I know how to,” Reynolds said. “With the Suns’ organization it’s just like Villanova, the same principles, the same kind of offense and it’s a little bit heart-warming that I’ve been in this system for four years and be able to be successful.

“I know it was a great opportunity here, and I’m happy I was able to get out there tonight.”

Reynolds was constantly talking and pumping up his teammates on the floor, exuding the leadership we saw from him in college. Although Majerle teased him later about how many questions he asked his coach on the court, he applauded the energy he brought to the floor.

As for if he has a shot at being an NBA player?

“He’s got to improve his shot, but a guy like that who can make plays for other people, you surround him with good players and he can be a good asset for anybody’s team,” Majerle said.

Clark plays better

The biggest story line of the Summer Suns as it pertains to the varsity Suns’ roster undoubtedly is Earl Clark. He entered the summer as the only player expected to be counted on for real minutes, although that could change with the additions of Hedo Turkoglu and Josh Childress.

Clark certainly won’t have anything handed to him, especially now, but today was a step in the right direction.

He played more in control and let the game come to him instead of forcing the issue with contested jumper after contested jumper, and he finished with a stat line of 18 points, five boards and four assists but six turnovers. He shot 6-for-12 after combining to go 9-for-28 in the first two games.

“Earl has struggled a little bit, but he got his legs under him a little bit more and started playing his kind of game,” Majerle said. “I think he was pushing the first couple games, more looking for his shot and not trying to make anybody better. Today I think he played more within himself and played a lot better.”

Lawal’s ‘triple-double’

Suns rookie forward Gani Lawal isn’t exactly the kind of player you ever expect to throw up a triple-double, but he did exactly that on Monday …. kind of.

Lawal filled up the box score with 15 points, 11 boards and … 10 fouls.

“Gani’s in there. Some of those calls were tough,” Majerle said. “He’s trying to play so hard, and he’s very physical. I don’t know how many illegal screens he got, but that’s OK. It means he’s out there trying to do the right thing, and he’s still out there trying to learn the system and how to play, but I’m impressed with the way he wants to learn and what he does out there.”

Lawal has looked like a guy who could develop into a nice contributor with his physicality and willingness to do the dirty work even if he has been a touch too foul-prone.

Rockets forward Jordan Hill came away impressed with Lawal after banging with him during Friday’s summer league opener.

“Gani, he’s going to be a good player,” Hill said. “He’s very aggressive. He’s got a high motor. He’s the kind of guy who will keep fighting.”

Janning impresses

Matt Janning may not have the physical tools to ever be an NBA player, but he’s the kind of heady performer any coach would enjoy having on his team.

After scoring 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting, Majerle was one such coach.

“I love Matt, I think he’s great,” Thunder Dan said. “Can really shoot it, he’s athletic. The thing I like about him more than anything is he knows how to play. He’s got a big basketball IQ, understands what we’re looking for, and he’s a hell of a player.

“What he lacks physically as far as the strength he can make up for. He knows how to play, that makes a big difference.”

Griffin depresses again

Taylor Griffin has not looked like an NBA player through three games of summer league. He continued his poor offensive play on Monday by scoring two points on 1-for-6 shooting, including three more missed long balls.

He’s now 4-for-20 (20 percent) from the floor and has hit 2-of-10 long balls (20 percent as well). That kind of shooting’s not going to get it done for a Suns wing.

And 1

Majerle on the Suns playing better today: “I think everybody did a better job. We had two practices, and this is all kind of new stuff for these guys. I think overall everyone was more comfortable. Earl was better, Gani was running the floor well. I think it was just a matter of guys getting to know each other a little better.” … I played in a TrueHoop/SBNation basketball game on Saturday morning. Put up a cool 0-for-10 line before I went Nashian in the final minutes with a big three and two clutch free throws on a drive off a teammate’s steal to turn a four-point deficit into a one-point lead in our win. Here’s the box. At least I put up an all-around line, right? … Suns head coach Alvin Gentry joked with Majerle about getting off the schneid by winning his first summer game this season. … Former assistant GM David Griffin attended the game and chatted with former Suns colleagues after the contest.

Up next

The Suns are off on Tuesday and then will return to the court Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. MST against Cleveland.

LAS VEGAS — If you were expecting Earl Clark to turn into a bonafide NBA player this summer league, you’ve got to be disappointed about the Louisville product’s first two games.

Clark turned in another mediocre performance in Saturday’s 103-69 thrashing at the hands of the Toronto Raptors, going for 15 points and five boards on 5-for-14 shooting in 22 minutes. The Suns were only -11 in his court time (the rest of the starters were all at least in the negative mid 20s) after he was a team-worst -19 in Friday’s loss to Houston.

Although he attacked the rim more often than he did Friday, Clark still showed a propensity to settle for perimeter jumpers, shots he often clanked. He’s now 9-for-28 (32.1 percent) from the floor through two games. Against summer league defenses.

“Today I had a rough game, just stay positive and tomorrow come out and do the same thing,” Clark said.

Added Summer Suns coach Dan Majerle of Clark: “He’s struggling a little bit. That happens in summer league. He wants to come out and play real well, and he may be pressing a little bit. I don’t know if he’s in the greatest shape possible. He’s a good player, he’s very talented. He’s just got to figure it out, and he will. “

The most distressing point Majerle made has to be the shape thing. Clark even admitted he’s “not in as good of shape as I thought I was.”

It’s OK for him to make mistakes while learning, but when your coach makes a comment about your shape to the media, that’s not a good sign.

I’ll take a more in-depth look at Clark later, but for now it’s disappointing to see him come back as the same player he was last year who couldn’t crack Alvin Gentry’s deep rotation.

The Suns need him to be a rotation guy next season, and the early returns aren’t encouraging.

However, a bad summer league team in which he’s the best player might not be the best place for Clark to showcase his skills. The Suns won’t need him to be their star, they just need him to be a piece who can use his athleticism to wreak havoc defensively and get open enough for Steve Nash to find him for easy buckets.

“Earl’s going to be a role player,” Majerle said. “This is the start of it, and it’s going to be a lot easier for him when he’s playing with guys like Steve and Grant and Jason and those guys. He’s got to be a leader out here not only with his play but how hard he plays. Like I said, maybe he’s pressing a little bit, but he’ll get better.”

Gani impresses in the fourth

After a lackluster first three quarters, Gani Lawal went into beast mode in the fourth quarter.

Lawal scored 10 points in the deciding period (or should I say “fourth” since the game was far from in doubt by then), showcasing a nice spin move that drew a foul and later making a steal and going coast to coast for a dunk.

It was also nice to see him go hard to the finish when seemingly the rest of the team had mailed it in.

“Gani’s going to be good,” Majerle said. “He’s got a long way to go, but he plays really hard, he loves posting up, has got some good, explosive moves. Once he learns the NBA game I think he’s got a chance to be pretty good.”

ESPN’s David Thorpe, who has watched Lawal the last two days, thinks he could be a real find.

“Lawal is a guy that should be in the league a long while,” he tweeted.

Not a good team

As a person so used to the pretty basketball played by Steve Nash’s Suns teams, it’s hard to watch this Summer Suns squad that just isn’t very talented.

The only potential NBA players on this squad really are Clark and Lawal (and it’s hard to say at this point if either will be good NBA players), and the Suns have thus far been overmatched in both games.

They are facing teams with lottery picks and legit NBA players, and it isn’t pretty.

Against the Raptors, the players joining Clark in the starting lineup were -34 (Taylor Griffin), -27 (Matt Janning), -27 (Zabian Dowdell) and -24 (Lawal) in +/-.

Griffin, a player who needed a strong summer to establish himself as a roster player, is 3-for-14 (21.4 percent). He missed four of five threes this afternoon, hardly the stats of a guy hoping to become a perimeter player.

After a solid first game, Dowdell also struggled with a three-point, 1-for-8 shooting performance against the Raptors.

The defense has also been downright Suns-like. The Suns are the only team to yield triple digits in Vegas, and they’ve done it in both games.

Up next

After getting Sunday off, the Suns take on the D-League Select on Monday at 5:30 p.m. MST. It’s hard to say which roster will possess more talent.

In all likelihood the only Phoenix Sun in Vegas who will make any kind of impact this season is Earl Clark, so that’s where I’ll start with my thoughts on the Suns’ 100-82 loss to the Houston Rockets, a game the Suns trailed by three after three before falling apart in the fourth.

Clark needed 14 shots to score his 14 points (shooting 4-for-14) and looked like the same player we saw in limited action last season. By that I mean he’s still never met a shot he doesn’t like and he still doesn’t hit jumpers with a hand in his face at a very high rate.

Yes, it’s only one game of summer league — and Goran Dragic rebounded quite nicely in his sophomore campaign from a poor first game of summer league — but it still would have been nice to see Clark attack the basket with authority instead of facing guys up and clanking another pull-up jumper after pull-up jumper.

“This was his first game, he’ll get better as the week goes along,” said Summer Suns coach Dan Majerle.

As for what he hopes to accomplish in summer league, Clark said, “Definitely shooting the ball better, and that’s about it.”

I would add working on a post game that he also admitted could use work, driving more and taking open jumpers instead of contested J’s off a one-on-one move.

Clark also returned to the court noticeably stronger in his upper body, saying he’s up to 236 or 238 pounds (he was listed at 225 last season).

“They (Suns strength staff) say I don’t lift enough, but I’ve had people say it looks like I do,” Clark said.

Lawal’s debut

Suns second-round pick Gani Lawal got his first taste of pro ball, going for 14 points and five boards. He ran the floor well (finishing in the open court a few times) and he blocked a couple shots.

However, he did not exactly lock down Rockets center Jordan Hill, who scored with ease a handful of times in one-on-one situations against Lawal.

“It was cool,” Lawal said. “I went out here and made some good plays, made some bad plays.”

He added that he needs to work on his free throws (6-for-11 from the line) but showed the hustle that’s supposed to be his calling card. It may be tough to see Lawal’s true value in summer league since these helter-skelter games don’t exactly showcase big guys who do the little things.

Of his game Lawal said, “I just try to play hard, rebound, just do the dirty work that nobody wants to do.”

And he’s got one fan with the team already. When asked who impressed him most today, Clark said, “Oh, Gani. He runs the floor excellent, he plays hard, rebounds, and he’s just a hard-nosed kid.”

Griffin’s game

He didn’t exactly distinguish himself as an NBA player with a 2-for-8 shooting performance, but Taylor Griffin looked more like an NBA wing than ever before.

He pulled down a rebound and drove coast to coast on one play, looked comfortable getting shots on the perimeter and played solid perimeter defense (the one thing we know he has in him). He was also a leader on the floor, urging the Suns to communicate on defense quite often.

There may be a better fit for the Suns’ 13th man spot, but if Taylor Griffin can add a jump shot the Suns could do worse than him.

Dowdell impresses

After a great summer with the Suns last season, Zabian Dowdell is at it again. Dowdell led the Suns with 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting (he was the only starter to shoot better than 50 percent for a Suns team that nailed just 40 percent of its shots), and he added four assists.

If Dowdell keeps playing like this, he deserves consideration for a roster spot.

Reynolds, Collins out

Villanova All-American Scottie Reynolds missed the game due to a problem with his Achilles. Majerle said he’s not sure if Reynolds will be able to play at all during summer league.

Second-round pick Dwayne Collins’ recent knee surgery also kept him out of action.

And 1

Majerle frequently urged the team by shouting “Let’s go” multiple times, attempting to create the kind of pace the Suns play during the regular season. … Jermaine Taylor led the Rockets with 25 and Patrick Patterson added 18 on 8-for-9 shooting. … Matt Janning chipped in with 10 points on 4-for-14 shooting for the Summer Suns.

Up next

The Suns return to the hardwood at 1 p.m. MST Saturday on NBA TV when they take on the Toronto Raptors.

I will be on the scene in Las Vegas Friday through Tuesday to give you the low down on what’s going on with the Suns’ summer league team, starting with Friday’s 3 p.m. game against Houston that will be televised by NBA TV.

So while the rest of the nation is still digesting The Decision, here are five story lines to ponder about the Summer Suns.

1.  Will Earl Clark make the leap?

No, not a leap to superstardom (perhaps one day), but the leap from a non-factor to a contributor. We saw flashes of the improvement of Goran Dragic and Robin Lopez last summer, and now it’s Clark’s time.

Alvin Gentry expects him to be in the Suns’ rotation next season and by all accounts he’s been working hard this summer, so this is his time to show that.

I’ve been on the Earl Clark bandwagon since before he was selected. I love his offensive and defensive games and think he could really help the Suns. We barely saw that Earl Clark last season, but I hope to at least see glimpses of that guy this weekend.

2. Can the rookies play?

I’m not sure if Dwayne Collins will even be healthy enough to suit up, but I want to see what kind of contributor Gani Lawal can be.

I understand this is only summer league, but even though Lawal is one of the most talented players on this team I want to see if he’ll be doing the dirt work he’d be expected to do with the real Suns. Is he blocking shots left and right? Is he corralling all the boards? Is he diving on the floor for loose balls? Is he playing with fire?

If the answer to those questions in summer league games that don’t matter is yes, the Suns might have found a nice piece for their bench.

3. The point guard spot

Scottie Reynolds brings the All-American cache, but Zabian Dowdell is just as intriguing of a prospect at the point guard spot.

Dowdell was one of the more impressive Summer Suns last year, but the Suns just didn’t have room for him. By bringing him back they clearly like him and another impressive summer should at least net him an invitation to camp if he wants one.

Reynolds, of course, was the first first-team All-American to go undrafted since the 1976 merger. He clearly has the talent if not the size and athleticism to make an NBA roster. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a guy like that be pissed off by everybody passing him up and setting Vegas on fire.

4. Griffin’s last chance?

Taylor Griffin holds a tenuous grip on a Phoenix Suns roster spot. He’s a model teammate who works hard and understands the system, but he just doesn’t possess NBA swingman skills as hard as he’s been working at it.

Or does he?

He’s now spent a year attempting to convert from a college post player to an NBA wing player. Does he have the shooting range and handles for such a move? He certainly has NBA athleticism, but it’s hard to say he has NBA skills. This summer league is important to showcase himself for an NBA job somewhere, if not in Phoenix.

5. Watching college stars

I’m pretty excited to see the Suns go up against the Houston Rockets’ Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill, players I covered for two seasons when I wrote about Arizona men’s basketball for The Arizona Daily Wildcat. During the regular season, it’s hard to pay much attention to a pair of bench players, particularly when the Suns are in the heat of a playoff push. Today I can really zero in on how much (or little) Chase and Jordan have improved since college.

For Pac-10 fans, you might remember Stanford forward Lawrence Hill, who is playing for the Suns. I always loved Hill’s game at Stanford, where he was a teammate of Suns center Robin Lopez. He’s got some length and a decent mid-range game and should be a nice summer player even if he doesn’t have NBA skill.

I remember watching Hill play high school basketball, and he was the best player I ever saw in the gym of my alma mater Desert Mountain High School.

Earl Clark

Pos: F Age: 22 Height: 6-foot-10 Weight: 225

2009-2010: 1.3 PPG, 0.7 RPG in 7.5 MPG (51 games)

Clark is sure to be the Suns’ star player in the summer league and could really take some big strides. Obviously, it’s no mystery what Clark brings to the table — size and athleticism. Summer league should give him a chance to sharpen specific elements of his game.

If Clark can come away with improved strength, better shot selection and the beginnings of bona fide rebounding ability, he’ll almost certainly become a regular rotation guy. The Suns are really high on Clark and believe he can be a great player. This could be his coming out party, or at least the pre-game.

Taylor Griffin

Pos: F Age: 24 Height: 6-foot-7 Weight: 238

2009-2010: 1.3 PPG, 0.3 RPG in 4.0 MPG (8 games)

Big brother will be playing for his team option in the summer league. Obviously Griffin knows the Suns’ system, which may put him a few steps ahead of the rest, but it also may not be enough to warrant keeping him on the roster.

He’ll have some competition for the oh-so-coveted perennial bench warmer spot, but he’ll have to earn it by showing that he has legitimate basketball abilities that can benefit the Suns beyond practice.

Scottie Reynolds

Pos: G Age: 22 Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 195

2009-2010: 18.2 PPG, 3.3 APG in 30.3 MPG

The first team All-American out of Villanova could be the surprise of the summer for the Suns. If Reynolds can gel with the Suns’ system (which is quite possible), he may earn himself a spot on the bench. Reynolds will need to show that he possesses unique talents to offer the Suns, as they already possess plenty of capable shooters and passers. Ultimately, Reynolds may have the best shot at making the team out of the summer league.

Shaun Pruitt

Pos: C Age: 24 Height: 6-foot-10 Weight: 245

2009-2010: 19.1 PPG, 13.5 RPG in 34.9 MPG

After bouncing around the globe (China, Czech Republic, Greece, Puerto Rico), the former University of Illinois center makes his second Summer League appearance. Pruitt didn’t make the Warriors roster last season, but ended up playing in the Puerto Rican Baloncesto Superior Nacional, where he led the league in rebounding. Pruitt is the only center on the summer roster, and while he doesn’t get up and down the court very quickly, his size could intrigue the Suns. Though it’s nothing Dwayne Jones can’t provide, and Pruitt seems to have maturity issues.

Ryan Toolson

Pos: G Age: 25 Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 190

2009-2010: 16.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG in 32.9 MPG

A Valley product, you have to imagine Toolson will do anything he can to just sit on the bench for the Suns. The Utah Valley University grad who once dropped 63 points on Chicago State but up decent numbers for Pinar Karsiyaka in Turkey last season while shooting 47.5 percent. The Suns hardly lack accurate shooters though, so Toolson is a long shot.

Gavin Edwards

Pos: F Age: 22 Height: 6-foot-10 Weight: 234

2009-2010: 10.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG in 30.4 MPG

Another Valley native, the Phoenix-born former UConn bench warmer figures to just take up space on the roster and court. The Suns did work him out twice before the draft, but that was almost certainly just scouting for summer league. Edwards made huge strides between his junior and senior seasons for the Huskies, but it will take some tremendous growth to even sniff a roster spot.

Marcus Johnson

Pos: F Age: 23 Height: 6-foot-6 Weight: 210

2009-2010: 9.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG in 31.7 MPG

Johnson spent time at UConn and finished at Southern Cal, but never put up very big numbers. However, Johnson’s real talent is his defense — something the Suns certainly lack. But don’t expect a diamond in the rough, just a serviceable summer league guy with legitimate defensive ability.

The following were compiled by Mike Schmitz:

Gani Lawal

Position: PF

College: Georgia Tech

Height: 6-foot-9

Weight: 233 pounds

2009-2010: 13.1 points, 8.5 rebounds in 25.8 minutes

Lawal turned in a solid three-year career at Georgia Tech and enters his rookie season with a ton of opportunity ahead of him. Depending on what the Suns do the rest of the offseason, Lawal could end up being Phoenix’s second big man off the bench. He will definitely make the team, but his role will partially be determined by how he plays this summer. He should start on this summer team and will have a tremendous opportunity to show off his game while learning the system along the way. With such a raw offensive game Lawal has a ton of learning to do, and what better time than summer league to get a head start?

Dwayne Collins

Position: PF

College: Miami

Height: 6-foot-8

Weight: 241 pounds

2009-2010: 12 points, 7.8 rebounds in 24.7 minutes

Collins should make the Suns’ roster before it’s all said and done, but he most likely has to have a solid showing in Vegas to do so (if he is even healthy enough to play after June 18 knee surgery). His 7-foot-4 wingspan alone should earn a roster spot, but this summer will prove if he has the skills to go along with that. I expect Collins to turn some heads with his high motor and athleticism this summer, and he may even eclipse Lawal on the depth chart. Collins is basically battling with his fellow second-rounder for playing time. It should be fun to see which raw and athletic big man has the edge going into training camp.

Zabian Dowdell

Position: PG

College: Virginia Tech

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 190 pounds

2009-2010: 12.9 points, 3.7 assists in 26.3 minutes (10 games for the Tulsa 66ers)

Dowdell made a great impression on the Suns when he played with them in last summer’s Vegas league. He was expected to play in training camp but earned a contract to play overseas, which he chose instead. He played with the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League for 10 games last season before heading overseas to play for Unicaja Malaga. Dowdell is a bit of a combo guard with great scoring ability and good length. Of the non-roster Suns he probably has the best shot of making the team as a third point guard, although Scottie Reynolds is a close second. He’s yet to earn a shot in the NBA at age 25 and has to be thirsting for a shot with the Suns. With an impressive summer league, Dowdell could very well be on the Phoenix Suns’ roster heading into next season.

Matt Janning

Position: SG

College: Northeastern

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 198 pounds

2009-2010: 15.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists in 36.1 minutes

Janning turned in an impressive career at Northeastern, averaging over 35 minutes per game in all four years and posting over 11 points per contest every season as well. He has sneaky athleticism and play making ability to go along with a solid stroke and good basketball IQ. But Janning is a long shot to make the club with so many shooters already under contract. However with a solid showing he could garner interest from a few other NBA teams.

Antron Ponkrashov

Position: SG

College: Russia

Height: 6-foot-7

Weight: 205 pounds

2009-2010: 2.8 points, 1.2 rebounds in 8.2 minutes (Euroleague, 20 games)

The 24-year old has been playing professional basketball in Russia since 2001 and was a member of the 2007 Russian FIBA championship team. He is a member of the Russian National Team and most recently played for CSKA Moscow He’s a lot like most European players — rail thin, sneaky athleticism, skilled but extremely soft. He can supposedly play everything from point guard to small forward, but Ponkrashov undoubtedly won’t make the roster.

Lawrence Hill

Position: SF

College: Stanford

Height: 6-foot-8

Weight: 220 pounds

2009-2010: 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds in 30.5 minutes (Halcones Rojos de Veracruz, Mexico League)

Hill was a stud at Deer Valley High School and turned in a solid four-year career at Stanford. He wasn’t NBA material out of college, however, and played 57 games for Halcones Rojos de Veracruz in the Mexico League. He has NBA size for a small forward to go along with solid athleticism. He is somewhat of a tweener without much shooting range, but Hill could surprise some people this summer. He is a long shot to make the club, but he’s proven he can play at a high level and could be a deep sleeper of sorts.

Brandon Johnson

Position: PG

College: University of San Diego

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 200 pounds

2009-2010: 14 points, 3.4 assists in 32 minutes per game

Johnson burst onto the national scene his junior season when he averaged 16.9 points per game in the West Coast Conference. He helped lead USD to a first-round upset over UConn in 2008, scoring 18 points. He ruptured his Achilles 10 games into his senior season, but was granted a fifth season because of the injury. He’s a scoring point guard and an intriguing prospect to keep your eye on. Johnson is a heck of a competitor and should also be in the conversation with Scottie Reynolds and Zabian Dowdell for a spot as the Suns’ third point guard.

If you want to know who’s going where you might as well consult ESPN’s Free Agent Slot Machine. It has about as good a chance of being accurate as any expert out there.

In the next few weeks we’re going to hear more misinformation than what you’d expect in the slimiest political campaign, and when the dust settles it might be difficult to recognize the league formerly known as the National Basketball Association.

Some teams will be big winners, others will panic and throw their maximum salaries at the next available elite player.

Some teams could set themselves up as dynasties and others could blow their futures with insane contracts to risky players.

The Suns could bring back Amare and Channing and give it another go, they could sign just one of their free agents, they could try to sign a guy like David Lee as a replacement (Dirk sounds like too much of a pipe dream to even mention) or they could be shut out of all the big names and just go for Channing and another mid-level-type big.

So many franchises will drastically change for the better or worse that the entire league seems to be freaking out now that teams can finally speak to players as of 9 p.m. tonight. Contracts cannot be officially signed until July 8.

Although Channing Frye is certainly on the agenda (I think it will take something close to the full mid-level to get that done, which should be a priority), of course everything will revolve around Amare, Amare, Amare on Planet Orange.

I feel like before Amare makes a decision we’re going to have to wait for the big dominoes to fall. First it will be LeBron, then Wade and Bosh and then the next tier of All-Stars (which Amare falls into) will pick a home.

The Miami Heat have planned a meeting with STAT Thursday in Los Angeles, according to The Miami Herald. The New York Knicks could only speak to Stoudemire by phone Wednesday night and are trying to convince him to meet them in New York but were not scheduled to meet him in LA as of Wednesday night, according to ESPN New York. However, that sounds like a fluid situation, so it would surprise nobody if the Knicks and Amare end up meeting Thursday in Los Angeles.

The Suns continued to negotiate with Amare on Wednesday, offering him a five-year max deal with injury protections in the fifth year, according to Yahoo!. However, KTAR’s John Gambadoro reported that the Suns won’t offer more than four years (for about $84 million), and Amare won’t settle for anything less than five.

The Suns could offer STAT five years at about $104 million and everybody else could only offer five years at just under $100 mil. Of course, the Suns could also offer a sixth year that they don’t seem inclined to do (as they shouldn’t).

The Arizona Republic‘s Paul Coro tweeted that his sources repeatedly have said Amare wants to stay in Phoenix and would take five years maybe even at less than the max if the Suns offered it.

All that means is it’s hard to believe anything you hear until the ink dries on a contract. I genuinely believe Stoudemire wants to stay in Phoenix all things being equal. As everybody keep saying about Dirk in Dallas, Phoenix is the only home he’s ever known, and he knows this is a good situation. The only question is to what degree Sarver really will show him the money.

Amare has been sending mixed messages about his future for so long and calling his odds of staying being 50-50 for such a length of time that I expect him to contradict himself often in the next few weeks. He’s already done exactly that on Twitter.

One day he tweets: “Pulling to my office in LA, about to meet with the Phoenix Suns. This is going to be a great meeting.” The next day he seems to foreshadow leaving by tweeting: “I opted out of my contract with PHX. Can’t wait to see what lies ahead. I had a blast with my teammates last season. What’s Next !!”

I’m even conflicted on what I think the Suns should do. Although I think five years at the max is too much long term, I’d prefer overpaying to keep together a contender now than risking coming away with nothing this offseason, blowing Nash’s final years and not being relevant until lucking into another superstar.

As much as I’m ready to jump on Schmitz’s David Lee bandwagon, I understand that signing Lee would be a moderate long shot and even then you’re looking at a definite downgrade.

As I will write in the coming days, Amare’s +/- numbers are downright mediocre for a guy asking for a max deal and Suns fans know all the typical reasons he’s probably not worth that money (rebounding, defense, playoffs). But at the end of the day, overpaying Amare on the back end could be better than losing him without acquiring an adequate replacement.

GMs and owners are now busy scampering across the country, and it’s anybody’s guess which big man will land in the Suns’ chair when the summer concludes.

The Summer Suns

The other “big news” of the day involved the Suns announcing their 14-man summer league team. The Summer Suns will be as follows:

Marcus Johnson F Southern California
Scottie Reynolds G Villanova
Zabian Dowdell G Virginia Tech
Ryan Toolson G Utah Valley
Brandon Johnson G San Diego
Lawrence Hill F Stanford
Anton Ponkrashov F CSKA Moscow
Matt Janning G Northeastern
Gani Lawal F Georgia Tech
Taylor Griffin F Oklahoma
Gavin Edwards F Connecticut
Shaun Pruitt F/C Illinois
Earl Clark F Louisville
Dwayne Collins F Miami (FL)