Juwan Staten: Phoenix Suns 2015 NBA Draft Profile
By Scott Chasen
Potential Fit
Forgive me, but I’m going to start this by quoting another draft profile I wrote earlier this year, because a lot of the same points apply.
"“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 same thing applies when looking at Staten, compared to looking at a guy like de Paula, albeit on different levels. If the Suns want to take a risk and go all out for a guy with a higher ceiling, they should probably look toward de Paula or another player like that. However, if they want a player that has a higher floor to start, and at the very least will be able to bring a similar impact to their starting point guard, then Staten in the second round (or as an undrafted free agent) could very well be the choice.
Staten would fit right in as a slasher on the team, and if his tweet about his vertical is anything close to accurate, his athleticism, coupled with his finishing ability, should be good enough to overcome his height deficiencies in small bursts, and at least make him a decent bench option. And it’s also worth mentioning once again that he isn’t a bad passer, which I feel like may be lost amidst all this talk about his scoring ability.
Next: Conclusion