Suns players ranking: 1-6!
By Matthew Wu
Okay guys this is the second and final day segment where I rank all the Suns players on the roster. I’m ranking the players from the bottom to top, I already covered 7-13(http://sunngun.com/2012/08/24/suns-playersrank-7-13/). And this will be players 1-6!
6) Markieff Morris:
– Markieff Morris had a good rookie year, although there’s a couple of guys picked in the draft later than Morris who had better rookie seasons but that ship has already sailed so it’s pointless to talk about it. ANYWAY! Morris averaged 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1 assist a game which is a decent stat line for any rookie. Morris displayed a great shooting touch for a big guy and probably the best the Suns have had in sometime. Unlike Channing Frye, Morris has a lot more muscle which allows him to bang in the post and making him a more imposing force on the defensive end. Morris showed his awesome ability to hit the turnaround fade-away jumper in the post which is a great weapon for any big guy to have, just ask Dirk Nowitzki. Morris has already proven he belongs in the league and he’ll have a good career but to become an all-star level player Morris still has some ways to go. Good news is he has the tools to get there now it just depends on if he’s willing to put in the work to get there.
5) Michael Beasley:
– There’s no doubt in my mind that Beasley can be the best player on the Suns but he has to prove he can bounce back from the awful season he had last season where he averaged career lows in almost every single statistical category. I think it’s a little unfair for people to call Beasley a bust but he certainly has failed to live up to his potential. Beasley’s future is in his hands right now, he’s in the position to succeed now that he’s in Phoenix but at this point it’s unfair to rank him any higher than this.
4) Jared Dudley:
– Planet Orange absolutely loves JYD and so do I. Dudley is just a hard worker, he’s improved every season since he’s been in Phoenix and his energy, hustle, and constant improvement is encouraging. Dudley also had a PER(player efficiency rating) last season of 15.29 which is above the league average and also 3rd on the team. Dudley’s shooting makes him a threat on offense and made teams pay last season anytime opposing defenses gave him any air space. Now that the Suns added another dangerous low-post scorer in Scola who will occasionally draw double teams, Jared Dudley will be making a living shooting his 3s and his improving ability to shoot off screens will all contribute to his game. I expect Dudley to make an even bigger impact next season than he did the past one.
3) Luis Scola:
– The Suns got the ultimate bargain for Scola, pretty much paying him what they paid Hakim Warrick. Scola will bring a lot to the table next season for the Suns, his passing ability in the post will get the Suns shooters open shots and his toughness will most certainly rub off on his teammates. Scola will be a reliable player for the Suns for a long time to come and Suns fans can certainly expect consistent production for Scola.
2) Goran Dragic:
– Dragic started his career with the Suns and after his famous 23 point second half against rival Spurs however he didn’t display his true abilities until he got to Houston where he played great last season. After Houston starting point guard Kyle Lowry went down with injury Dragic took over and did a great job, such a great job that even when Lowry healed Dragic continued to be the starter. During Dragic’s 28 games as a starter he averaged 18 points, 3.5 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game; he also posted great shooting percentages as a starter, 49% from the field, 38% shooting 3s, and 84% from the foul line. It remains to be seen if Goran Dragic will be able to keep up the production but it’s almost a certainty at this point. Dragic has had the ability the entire time we were just waiting for him to use it.
1) Marcin Gortat:
– Now that Orlando lost Dwight Howard they must be kicking themselves every time they watch Gortat play. Gortat’s great season last year put him in the conversation as whether or not he’s a top 5 center in the NBA. Gortat averaged 15.4 points, 10 rebounds and almost 2 blocks a game. Gortat also posted a great PER of 21.21 which was actually higher than that of Steve Nash, which is odd because at least 50% of his buckets came from pin-point Nash passes. Gortat is the best player on the Suns because he’s the best rebounder, shot blocker, and also probably the most efficient scorer wearing a Suns jersey. With Nash gone, Gortat will need to learn how to get more buckets on his own which includes mastering more post moves, Gortat also needs to put on more muscle because it was obvious at times he wasn’t able to power through to the rim off a post move and instead wound up shooting a low percentage fade-away jumper. Gortat’s rebounding and shot blocking should maintain which is a great value in it of itself, but whether or not his offense will be the same remains in doubt.