Josh Harrellson Deserves A Training Camp Invite

Between Tyson Chandler and Alex Len, the Phoenix Suns could have a great mix of experience, potential, rebounding, rim protection, alley-oop skill and possibly even midrange shooting at the center position at next season.

But the team could still use a third string center, and based on what we’ve seen from Josh Harrellson so far in Las Vegas at the 2015 NBA Summer League, he deserves the opportunity to prove himself at training camp for that designation.

Earl Barron diehards, avert your eyes for the remainder of the article.

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Harrellson — A.K.A. “Jorts” — has by no means stolen the show in a city where shows would come a dime a dozen if they weren’t so expensive. If anything, the focus should remain on the solid progress of actual roster fixtures like Len, T.J. Warren, Archie Goodwin and rookie Devin Booker.

But in limited time, Harrellson has had an impact all the same, helping the Suns stymie the bleeding when Phoenix rests its four former first round picks. The Suns have the luxury of playing as many actual NBA players as anyone, and Harrellson technically qualifies since he played part of one season with the Knicks, part of another with the Heat and part of last season with the Pistons.

But since his entire career has amounted to 75 games and meager averages of 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, this 26-year-old stretch big is using Summer League as his shot to work his away back onto an NBA roster. After a slow start, he’s starting to prove the impact he could have in spot minutes as a last resort off the bench.

In his first two Summer League games, Harrellson didn’t see much time off the bench behind Alec Brown, totaling seven points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes action, shooting 33.3 percent from the floor and going 1-for-6 from three-point range. In the two games since, Harrellson has put up 28 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in 30 minutes, while shooting 11-for-12 from the field and 6-for-7 from downtown.

A two-game sample size shouldn’t have anyone declaring a Jorts comeback (for the player OR the hideous piece of clothing), but the whole point of Summer League is to give fringe NBA players their opportunity to earn an invite to training camp so they can prove themselves for real. Isn’t that exactly what Josh Harrellson has done?

Plus, that nickname!

Jorts is 6'10" 275 lbs and was out there knocking down 3s today. Reason #2 the Suns should sign him. Reason #1? The nickname.
— JJ (@Suns6thMan) July 15, 2015

In Phoenix’s third Summer League game, he was instant offense off the bench, nearly racking up a double-double (15 points and nine boards) in only 16 minutes. In the Suns’ first game of bracket play Thursday, he put up 13 and six in 14 minutes while making all five of his shots and all three of his three-pointers.

Between Chandler and Len, the Suns wouldn’t need much from Jorts if he were to theoretically earn an edge-of-the-rotation spot on the roster. But given Chandler’s age and Len’s unlucky propensity for injury, it wouldn’t hurt to have a semi-experienced guy like Harrellson waiting on the bench.

He’s a little undersized at 6’10”, he’s not a great leaper and the Summer Suns have been pretty vulnerable protecting the rim and defending the glass every time Len heads to the bench. Harrellson certainly wouldn’t be on the roster for his defense or his rebounding abilities, but his ability to spread the floor is worth something. And, of course, that nickname.

SHAZAM! @BigJorts55 for three! #SummerSuns pic.twitter.com/O6GwAEWtYj
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 16, 2015

Harrellson wouldn’t be a sexy addition by any means, but he might be an asset as a big who could surprise defenses and knock down threes at an efficient clip.

His last two games are nowhere near a big enough sample size to label him a sharpshooter, but he also shot 38.7 percent from deep last season in Detroit, attempting one three-pointer per game in 32 appearances for the Pistons. It’s not unreasonable to think he could come in and hit a few open threes in extremely limited minutes off the bench.

At this point, nothing is guaranteed. General manager Ryan McDonough did a great job adding depth to the roster and rounding out some of the team’s weaker areas this offseason, leaving little room for NBA hopefuls like Josh Harrellson. But at the very least, if he can continue his recent play, he’ll undoubtedly deserve an invite to the Suns’ training camp in a few months.

Next: Expect A Breakout Season From T.J. Warren In 2015-16

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