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George de Paula: Phoenix Suns 2015 Draft Profile

By Scott Chasen

Apr 12, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; A view of the Phoenix Suns logo before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 101-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; A view of the Phoenix Suns logo before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 101-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 29, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Joe Jackson poses for a portrait during media day at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 29, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Joe Jackson poses for a portrait during media day at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Potential Fit

It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for the Suns to pick up a backup PG, especially if they want to use Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight as a 1-2 punch in the future and keep Archie Goodwin on the wing.

And while the team could always look to add a veteran or even sign a D-Leaguer — *cough* Joe Jackson *cough* — those moves aren’t usually made with long-term success in mind; they’re more about short-term fixes for contenders.

The Suns could view de Paula as a guy who could be a top-tier backup PG after a few years of development, before becoming a starter in his own right. That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, but it also is far from exciting for the fan base.

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    • As far as present fit is concerned, there really is none. Unless de Paula progresses fairly dramatically, he’d be hard-pressed to earn backup or spot minutes right away. After all, if a team is going to hand out a few spare point guard minutes in a game, they’re probably going to look for a strong ball handler that’ll make good decisions and, simply put, won’t mess up the game.

    De Paula is a guy that’s better at top speed than any other. If you put him in a game, he’ll be at his best pressuring the other team in the backcourt and driving into the lane in the front court, which is great for a starting point guard, and even a backup that’s going to play lots of minutes.

    However, for a plug-in guy, you don’t really want someone that’s going to speed the pace up and make things hectic– although if de Paula could improve to the point where he had starting-point guard level skills, it would certainly fit right in with what the Suns are trying to accomplish as a team.

    Next: Conclusion

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