If you look at the black and white of the Phoenix Suns’ current offseason, it’d be easy to feel disappointed. The plainest fact is that the Suns missed out on LaMarcus Aldridge, who instead joined Phoenix’s rival, the San Antonio Spurs.
The Suns didn’t get a game-changing free agent, they had to draft at the end of the lottery once more and as currently constructed, they won’t be a contender in the Western Conference next season. They might not even be a guarantee to make the playoffs at all.
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But the world isn’t black and white. It’s not even shades of gray; it’s a vibrant world full of color and intricate detail. A fan base that enjoys watching a team don purple and orange on a nightly basis should be well aware of that fact by now. Here’s another fact for Suns fans, one that only becomes true when you take in the full, color-filled picture: general manager Ryan McDonough is worthy of your trust.
It’s true that the Suns have yet to make the playoffs under McDonough’s reign. It’s true that they regressed into a 39-win team last year after shocking the world in 2013-14 with a 48-win season. But it’s also true that very little of that blame can be directly attributed to McDonough after the dumpster fire of a roster he was given when he first got the job.
Compare the roster he had then to the one he’s assembled in just three offseasons and the McMiracle nickname starts to make more sense.
Next: McDonough's Mistakes
Ryan McDonough hasn’t been perfect by any means. As one of the youngest executives in the league, playing this high-level game of NBA poker where millions of dollars are at stake will sometimes result in losing a big pot. Sometimes the opponent will just have a better hand, which is exactly what happened when the Spurs lured away Aldridge to San Antonio.
McDonough’s harshest critics will blame him for the way that surprisingly successful 2013-14 Suns team dissolved into a tumultuous and unhappy trade deadline in 2015, which included the closest thing Phoenix had to a franchise player — Goran Dragic — outright telling the world he no longer trusted the front office and that he wouldn’t re-sign in the Valley, a place he once called his home away from Slovenia.
Sir Charles In Charge
There’s no excuse for the ugly departure of the Dragon. Bringing in Isaiah Thomas was a gambit that blew up in McDonough’s face, and that unconventional risk undervalued the importance of chemistry and fit.
But at the same time, even the individual move that McDonough made — a sign-and-trade of Thomas for a trade exception and the rights to Alex Oriakhi — was not an ill-advised one in and of itself. It’s also worth noting that as widely condemned as the point guard hydra was, it worked for awhile, didn’t it?
Until the Suns lost a few close games, everyone panicked and the point guards all wanted more, that is.
At that point, a roster shakeup was in order. Dragic went to Miami, Thomas was (panic)traded to Boston, and one-third of the roster was shipped away when all was said and done. The Suns capsized with Eric Bledsoe in sole control of the helm, Brandon Knight spent his time either trying to adjust to playing off the ball or on the sidelines with an ankle injury and Phoenix literally and figuratively limped to a 1-10 record to close the season.
And yet, even with all their late-season injuries, locker room turmoil and disastrous finish to the year, the Suns still managed to win 39 games, which would have qualified them for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Suns still set in the West, and that won’t change anytime soon. But McDonough has done everything in his power this offseason to position the team for a playoff appearance in 2015-16 no matter what conference it’s in.
Next: McDonough's Triumphs
It doesn’t hurt that the Portland Trail Blazers lost four of their five starters, or that the Dallas Mavericks were out-bunkered by a Los Angeles Clippers contingent desperate for DeAndre Jordan‘s services. But with two former playoff teams most likely lottery-bound this year, the Suns join the New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder as contenders for the West’s vacant playoff slots.
Phoenix won’t be contending for a title next season, but the roster tweaks McDonough has made have the Suns looking more like a typical NBA team: young talent mixed in with veteran leadership.
First there’s Eric Bledsoe, more than likely still the Suns’ best player. Bledsoe joined LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and James Harden last season as the only four players in the league to average at least 17 points, six assists and five rebounds per game.
He’s a two-way force and borderline All-Star who makes up for his lack of charismatic qualities with the fact that he’s only 25 years old, that he just finished his first full season as an NBA starter and that he’s locked in for another four years on a deal that will soon look like a bargain because of the league’s skyrocketing salary cap.
That’s not a bad asset to have, especially when you remember McDonough first snagged him for Jared Dudley and a second round pick.
Then there’s Brandon Knight, a promising 23-year-old combo guard who has the intelligence and leadership qualities that could make him a huge asset to this team in the future. Some still have doubts about whether or not he was worth giving up that protected pick from the Los Angeles Lakers, but there’s no guarantee that pick winds up being valuable.
The fact that McDonough will soon lock him in on the same manageable five-year, $70 million structure that Bledsoe got signifies that Phoenix’s backcourt for the future is locked in.
Then you look to his draft results. T.J. Warren often looked like the smartest offensive player on the court as a rookie, darting to the open spot on the floor and converting any and all looks around the rim. Archie Goodwin has shown flashes of potential, but even if he hasn’t gotten his opportunity to deliver on them yet, he’s still only 20 years old.
Adding Devin Booker this summer addresses an area of need — three-point shooting — with the purest shooter in his draft class. Booker is also a 6’6″ shooting guard and is only 18 years old.
Finally, there’s Alex Len, who’s been a bit of a work-in-progress and already has a (slightly unfair) reputation of being injury-prone. But he’s also only 22 years old and his potential began to emerge before our eyes as the world’s most awkward seven-foot butterfly once he was inserted into the starting lineup. As a future stretch-5 and rim protector, Len’s value will soon become readily apparent, especially under Tyson Chandler‘s wing.
Chandler says his biggest priority is making Alex Len the best player he can be and that they’ll both benefit from the relationship. #Suns
— Valley of the Suns (@ValleyoftheSuns) July 9, 2015
Speaking of Chandler, remember when the biggest complaint about the Suns was that they had no veteran presence in the locker room? Or maybe it was their inability to protect the basket and clean up the glass? It doesn’t matter, because the addition of Chandler addresses both problem areas.
At 32 years old, Chandler isn’t going to turn the Suns into a top-tier team in the West. But do you think Markieff Morris outbursts will fly in that locker room now? Do you think Len won’t learn anything useful under Chandler’s tutelage? And with Bledsoe, Chandler and P.J. Tucker all on board, do you really think the Suns’ porous defense won’t improve leaps and bounds next season?
Next: This Summer
Minor additions like Jon Leuer, Sonny Weems, Ronnie Price and even Mirza Teletovic might not move the needle for some, but McDonough has addressed areas of need all summer long, and he’s done a pretty remarkable job considering the crop of free agents available after Aldridge was off the board.
Other than missing out on Aldridge, Price might be the most regrettable Suns-related move of the summer, with some fans yearning for an Ish Smith return in the backup point guard department. But if the difference between Smith and Price ended up being Teletovic, then it was more than worth it.
Ok, Mirza is immediately one of my favorite Suns for this quote about his tough childhood. #IfIDieIDie #BallIsLife pic.twitter.com/qWB7gxLvxF
— sreekar (@sreekyshooter) July 10, 2015
(And if you’re really upset about Price, consider your rage is being directed at a backup point guard whose one-year deal is only meant to round out the roster until Phoenix pursues more high-impact free agents next summer, which, thanks to that trade with the Detroit Pistons, will see the Suns with more cap space in the future.)
The Suns needed to get tougher in the paint and on the glass; they now have Tyson Chandler and Alex Len holding down the fort at the center position. They needed depth at power forward; they got Teletovic to spread the floor as a stretch-4 behind Keef. They needed shooting to open up the lane for Bledsoe and Knight; they added Booker, Teletovic and Weems.
They needed a backup point guard to run the offense with poise; they got Price to give Knight or Bledsoe a breather. They needed veteran leadership for the locker room; they brought in Chandler. No, those aren’t the sexy moves that will push the Suns into contender territory. But they are the moves that will have Phoenix contending for a playoff spot in 2015-16 to end the postseason drought.
Next: What's To Come
You can bring up the Dragic disembowelment or the Anthony Tolliver signing if you want. You can focus on drafting Tyler Ennis or giving up that Lakers pick. You can mention that Reggie Bullock didn’t pan out, that Isaiah Thomas was panic-traded or whatever other criticism you can conjure up.
But the good far outweighs the bad and even after taking a step backward next season, Ryan McDonough has put the Suns in position to make the postseason next year. He not only earned a sit-down with a high profile player in Aldridge, but he nearly stole him away from a team with an established championship culture and five banners. Nobody saw that coming, not in a million years.
Phoenix’s sights are set higher than just making the playoffs. But if we’ve learned anything from McDonough’s unorthodox and difficult method of building from the middle up, it’s that he’s capable of making a good move when it’s available. His entire track record, not to mention this well-rounded roster for 2015-16, is a testament to that.
Bled/Archie/Price
— sreekar (@sreekyshooter) July 9, 2015
Knight/Weems/Booker
PJ/TJ
Kieff/Teletovic/Leuer
Tyson/Len
And they'll probably add another guy from the SL squad.
The Suns have a young, talented backcourt locked in for the next 4-5 years. They have an interior defensive presence and floor leader, and they have young and promising role players who will blossom under his guidance. Now it’s just a matter of landing that missing superstar and taking the next step forward.
Knowing Ryan McDonough, he’ll have the assets, the motivation and the ability to pull the trigger when the time comes.
Next: Suns Officially Introduce Tyson Chandler