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Evaluating The Phoenix Suns Heading Into All-Star Weekend

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 6, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) leaves the court after defeating the Utah Jazz at US Airways Center. The Suns won 100-93. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) leaves the court after defeating the Utah Jazz at US Airways Center. The Suns won 100-93. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 21, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek (center) reacts alongside guard Eric Bledsoe (2) and guard Goran Dragic (1) in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Blazers 118-113. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Point Guard Hydra A Source Of Controversy

Ahh, yes. The universally scorned/defended point guard hydra. At this point in the season, it really shouldn’t be so controversial: in small doses, playing Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas together at the same time is effective. Anything longer than that, its potency quickly wears off and often turns into a major backfire.

Per NBA.com, the point guard hydra has posted a respectable plus/minus of +4.7 points per 100 possessions on the season. In the last 10 games, however, with the Suns going smaller for longer stretches (especially with Len out recently), that three-man lineup has been outscored by an astonishing 19.6 points per 100 possessions.

Numerous times in the last few weeks, we’ve seen the three point guards blitz the opposition with double-teams to force turnovers and turn those traps into quick offense. Last night against Houston, for example, the point guard hydra reeled off an 8-0 run in the second quarter to cut an double-digit advantage to only three points.

But once the Rockets figured out what the Suns were doing and adjusted, they responded with a 10-2 run of their own. We’ve seen it happen more frequently over the last few weeks. At this point, many see the “point guard hydra” lineups as a gimmick, and they’re not totally wrong.

As has been the case when the Suns build double-digit leads all season long, this team needs to learn how to sustain its success. Because just like Phoenix quickly surrenders leads and turns potential blowouts into nail-biters, so too does the point guard hydra go from game-changing to backbreaking.

Dragic is a better team defender than he gets credit for, but he understandably gets worn down trying to guard bigger, more physical small forward. IT is out-matched on that end and Bledsoe wears himself out chasing around the other team’s best perimeter player. And that’s before we mention guys like Kieff, Tucker and Mook having to bang bodies with much bigger post players.

Playing three point guards together works in spots, but Hornacek needs to find a way to get them off the floor once the opposition figures it out. Trading in rebounding and defense at that point is more advisable and would make closing out games easier.

Many believe Thomas is the obstacle standing in the way of the Suns re-signing Dragic as a free agent this summer. Dragic has given no such indication, but the point still stands that Thomas is not off-limits with the trade deadline approaching.

Many fans have been quick to put IT on the trade block, but it’s worth mentioning that Thomas has been one of the league’s best bench scorers, highest fourth quarter scorers and that the point guard hydra — controversial and gimmicky though it may seem — works…in small doses.

Next: Takeaway No. 6 - The Margin For Error Is Slim

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