Brandan Wright: 2014-15 Phoenix Suns Player Grades
By Scott Chasen
Strengths:
Wright’s weaknesses and strengths come from the same general idea that he is a player who plays within himself. While it can be frustrating knowing that player isn’t going to become that much more dynamic, Wright can serve as a calming force on a team like the Suns, which is something that can’t hurt given how up-and-down the team was at various points this year.
Wright is obviously a very good player when it comes to converting around the basket, and he does a lot of things in the paint that rank among the NBA’s best. For example, Brandan Wright’s offensive rebound rate of 9.9 ranks in the top 30 of the NBA (min. 70 games played). Additionally, Wright ranks fourth (min. 50 games) in the NBA in effective field goal percentage, and third in true shooting percentage on the same criteria, behind only Kyle Korver and Tyson Chandler.
Looking even deeper, Wright boasts one of the lowest turnover rates in the NBA, as he has the ninth best rate of all players who played in more than 65 games, at 7.0 percent. That means that essentially one out of 15 possessions that go through Wright end in a turnover, which is more than acceptable for a bench player.
Wright also ranks top-30 in PIE, or Player Impact Estimate, which is a measure of how much of a game a player impacts. That number really sums up who Brandan Wright is as a player. In limited minutes, he is going to make smart, important plays, that lead his team, rather than making the risky ones that could cost his team down the stretch.
It’s been that way for years:
Brandon Wright is one of the most efficient players in the NBA (100th percentile), in a tiny sample size. He's awesome posting up - 99th
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) January 5, 2014
When Brandan Wright is on the floor, what does he bring that hurts the #Mavs? So efficient with his playing time.
— Jay Wallis (@WFAAJayWallis) February 16, 2012
Such a smart play by Brandan Wright....caught, heard the whistle and instinctively threw it back up in one motion. Score the bucket, and-1
— Chillin in my Bacta (@DarthAmin) January 29, 2015
As far as other strengths, Wright is a lengthy player and defender, who averaged right around three blocks per 40 minutes. As a fill-in player, Wright is everything you could want out of a guy and then some, not to mention he does set a good example for the younger guys.
Wright is incredibly vocal on defense, and even on a new team he still had no problem being a vocal leader. The takeaway from anyone who watches Wright live is that he does a lot of the little things out there that help win games, not to mention that he is incredibly bouncy and can grab a ball way up above the rim.
Oh, and I didn’t even mention the fact that he’s posted a PER (Player Efficiency Rating) above 20 in each of his last four seasons, and he’s posted a PER above 15 (the league average) every year since he’s been in the league.
For a guy making $5 million a year, especially with the cap going up, that’s really not that bad at all.
Next: Lowlights