Phoenix Suns: Expect A Breakout Season For T.J. Warren In 2015-16
Small-Ball Lineup Potential
Again, take this with a Summer League-sized grain of salt, but over the last few games, Warren has also showcased another element of his skill set that could be useful next season: his ability to log some time at the 4 in small-ball lineups.
The obvious disclaimer is that the Suns are able to get away with it because this is Summer League basketball. Guarding a power forward like rookie Trey Lyles is one thing, but trying to use Warren to out-small-ball a team like the Memphis Grizzlies won’t work. Unfortunately, the Phoenix Suns are not the Golden State Warriors.
However, Warren has impressed during his time in Las Vegas at the 4, blowing by his defender on one end and relatively holding his own on the other. Theoretically, he’d need to do a better job helping out on the boards if he were to log time as a small-ball 4, but the potential is there. Is it wrong to think he could become a Harrison Barnes-type, minus the three-point range?
Warren has done pretty well as a small-ball 4. He needs to rebound a bit better, but if Len is going to grab 14 in 23 min it's not a problem
— Jacob Padilla (@JacobPadilla_) July 15, 2015
In his rookie season, Barnes moving to the 4 was the key reason the Warriors upset the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. At 6’8″ and 215 pounds, Warren is the same height as Barnes and only 10 pounds lighter.
Barnes was a much better defensive prospect when he entered the league and he had more range as well, but I think most Suns fans would be ecstatic if Warren tried to emulate Barnes’ game as a small-ball 4 in certain lineups. There’s also less of a chance that Warren’s foot speed would be exposed if he were able to bulk up and muscle 4s down low rather than strictly relegating him to defending quicker small forwards on the perimeter.
This won’t make or break Warren’s success next season, and he’ll need to develop some range to ever become a stretch-4. But even without the long-term small-ball potential, T.J. Warren is in a great position to take advantage of his opportunity and break through in 2015-16.
Next: Should The Suns Trade Markieff Morris?