Emmanuel Mudiay: Phoenix Suns 2015 Draft Profile
By Gavin Schall
Potential Fit
There are multiple ways for the Suns to net the fourth pick, but taking Mudiay only makes sense if they move Bledsoe as part of the process. While there are important differences in their games, it would be redundant to have both Bledsoe and Mudiay on the roster.
That being said those redundancies make Mudiay an excellent fit on a Bledsoe-less roster. His ability to push the pace without exclusively searching out his own shot is important for a fast-paced offense with so many shoot-first guys.
Where Mudiay really makes a difference is in the half court. There was so much talk about how John Wall finally figured out how to toggle between different gears in his fifth year in the league; while Mudiay isn’t working with quite the same engine, he already understands his perfectly.
Mudiay can apply that knowledge because he’s such a high level ball handler for a young guard. He already knows to throw in that one extra hesitation dribble, to freeze a defense for that all important half-second before tossing a cross-court dart to an open gunner.
Mudiay is a conductor and that’s exactly what a Suns offense that often operated like a chicken with its head cut off so desperately needs.
In 2nd grade, Emmanuel Mudiay wrote a letter to his mother, in which every line read, "I am going to play in the NBA."
— Eric Musselman (@EricPMusselman) June 23, 2015
That being said, it’s hard to justify trading up to take another guy who can’t shoot. If the Suns take Mudiay, it would likely leave them with just one reliable trigger man in Brandon Knight (if he re-signs). That type of telephone booth offense just isn’t going to work in 2015 no matter how good Mudiay is at everything else.
Next: Conclusion