Potential Fit
Nobody in Phoenix is irreplaceable right now, but on a roster that already has P.J. Tucker, T.J. Warren and Marcus Morris at the 3, Hollis-Jefferson might not be a great fit for a team that likes to run-and-gun since the biggest flaw in his game is his perimeter shooting.
Sir Charles In Charge
On the fast break, perhaps his flaws on that front would be hidden a little bit, but the Suns weren’t the same team in transition after trading away their one-man fast break Goran Dragic (along with Isaiah Thomas). Phoenix was the worst three-point shooting team in the association after the trade deadline, which means taking a flier on RHJ, even with all his defensive talent, would be a major risk.
Hollis-Jefferson would be a lottery-level talent if not for his inept jump shooting mechanics, but the Suns need a player who can help them now. Niche defenders who will take time to develop their offense seem more at home with a team that’s closer to contending than Phoenix is. Taking him at No. 13 would feel like a reach, so unless the Suns trade down, I wouldn’t count on this U of A star staying in Arizona.
However, we should also mention that with the Suns are running low on likable players, a local guy with Hollis-Jefferson’s infectious personality would certainly fit the bill. It took him all of two seconds to start working his charm on the media scrum at his pre-draft workout:
Got to love Hollis-Jefferson who began his post-#Suns workout session w/reporters, "I knew you all were waiting for me. Let's get to it."
— Craig Grialou (@CraigAZSports) June 5, 2015
This is a minor thing to take into consideration, but it’s worth noting that the front office and fans (especially for this franchise) need to have players they can get along with and get onboard with. Hollis-Jefferson may never be an NBA superstar, but he’s the kind of defensive-minded, hard working glue guy that can garner fan support both on and off the court.
Next: Conclusion