Overview:
The 2014-15 season came with high expectations for the Phoenix Suns, a young team on the rise that had won 48 games the year prior. But with the trade deadline departures of Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas and three other players, the Suns lost one-third of their roster and fell apart soon after.
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Still, the season was not a complete waste. Young players who needed more minutes finally got them, the core is intact moving forward and Phoenix will look to regroup in the offseason. But in order to put the season in context, it’s time to take a look back on 2014-15 and examine how everyone performed and how they fit in for the long-term.
Today, we continue our daily 2014-15 Phoenix Suns Player Grades with Marcus Thornton, a seldom used reserve acquired from the Boston Celtics in the Isaiah Thomas deal at the deadline.
Why didn’t Thornton get any run time with the Suns? Did he have anything to offer? And as an unrestricted free agent this summer, is there any chance he has a future in Phoenix? Here’s a look at Thornton’s time with the Suns with his 2014-15 player grades.
Next: Weaknesses
Weaknesses:
Like Jerel McNeal and Earl Barron, it’s hard to judge Thornton’s time in Phoenix because it was so limited. In nine games for the Suns, Thornton averaged a negligible 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9.0 minutes per game.
That’s not enough to get an accurate reading on what he had to offer, but in spite of being with the team for almost two months, head coach Jeff Hornacek found little time for Thornton in the rotation between chasing a playoff spot and letting the younger guys get minutes.
That’s probably for the best given his woeful shooting in Phoenix, however. His field goal percentage (32.5 percent) and ghastly three-point percentage (10.5 percent on 2.1 attempts per game) suggest his days of being a helpful spark plug off the bench are over, even if he was banged up down the stretch.
It doesn’t help that his time with the Boston Celtics was less than stellar, either. In 39 games with the Celts, Thornton averaged 8.9 points on 41.6 percent shooting, though he also made 41.9 percent of his threes. Thornton only played 16.4 minutes per game for Brad Stevens and there’s probably a reason the Suns are his fourth new team in the last two seasons.
Next: Strengths
Strengths:
Like Gerald Green and Isaiah Thomas before him, Thornton’s greatest strength lies in his ability to go on a hot streak and carry a team off the bench. His limited sample size in Phoenix also makes it seem like he’s a bad three-point shooter, when in fact, he’s a career 36.2 percent shooter from downtown and had just shot 41.9 percent from three-point range in Boston.
Before that, Thornton shot 38.0 percent from long range in 26 games with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013-14. It’s an area of his game that he’s worked to improve and despite not fitting in with the Suns, that’s one area this team desperately needs to upgrade next season.
With Gerald Green’s minutes fluctuating, there was a brief stretch in March where it seemed like Hornacek might give him a chance off the bench. Unfortunately for Thornton, once it became clear the playoffs weren’t happening, the minutes rightfully went to the younger wings like Archie Goodwin and T.J. Warren.
Next: Lowlights
Lowlights:
Thornton’s been on a frustrating NBA journey over the last two years. In 2010-11, he was averaging 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in 27 games for the Sacramento Kings. He played 38 minutes a night back then and it seemed like he had found a home.
But as the years progressed, his role started to diminish. He averaged 18.7 points in 35 minutes per game during the 2011-12 season, but the team started to realize he wasn’t quite efficient enough on offense and the following season, his numbers took a major hit in a sixth man role.
Thornton had a good game & could be a great addition off bench to a team looking to make the playoffs, but the Suns aren't in that position
— Sean Sullivan (@SeanSullivanNBA) March 12, 2015
Ever since then, he’s seen his stat line, efficiency and playing time all tail off every season. With the Suns, things reached a depressing new low, as Thornton played in only nine of a possible 28 games. He missed the last few games of the season with an ankle injury, but most of those missed games were “DNP – CD”s.
Next: Highlights
Highlights:
As we mentioned before, the nights (READ: night) where Thornton went off were few and far between once he joined the Suns, but there was one good game after the trade deadline where he actively contributed to a victory for Phoenix.
In a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Mar. 11, Thornton finished with 14 points and four rebounds in 22 minutes, by far the most playing time he got with the Suns. He went 6-for-12 from the field, added two steals and despite going 1-for-5 from downtown, helped Phoenix avoid an embarrassing home loss to the worst team in the NBA.
This was one of only three games in Phoenix where Thornton played double-digit minutes and it was easily his best performance as a Sun.
Next: Final Grade
Grade: D+
Maybe that’s a bit harsh for a guy who only got to play nine games, but what else is there to say? There’s a reason he only played nine games. He didn’t fit in with the team from a “trying to still make the playoffs perspective” and he didn’t fit from a “the playoffs aren’t happening so let’s play the young guys” perspective either.
Thornton is an unrestricted free agent this summer and there’s virtually zero chance he re-signs with the Suns this summer. When asked about possibly seeing a future here, Thornton was polite, but didn’t leave a lot of room for optimism in the prospect of a reunion next season:
"“Uh, who knows? Who knows? Just go in and work this summer and let the chips fall where they may and see what happens.”"
None of this is Thornton’s fault, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Suns really should’ve tried to get more from the Celtics than a future first round pick (top-10 protected in 2016 via the Cleveland Cavaliers) and Marcus Thornton when they traded away Isaiah Thomas.
His departure will free up a roster spot, but not much else. Fare thee well, Marcus Thornton. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors.
More 2014-15 Phoenix Suns Player Grades:
Jerel McNeal
Danny Granger
Brandan Wright
Earl Barron
Next: Phoenix Suns: 10 Takeaways From The 2014-15 Season (Part 2)