Pros
T.J. Warren and Devin Booker were the two most impressive players for the Summer Suns, but Mike James was a close third. In his seven games with the Suns, James averaged 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals in 25.3 minutes per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent from downtown.
In five games as a starter, those numbers jumped to 14.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game on 45.8 percent shooting (38.9 percent from deep). While Jerel McNeal proved to be nearly unplayable, it was James who carried the Summer Suns at the point guard position. It was like watching Mighty Mouse play basketball.
There were times when James got a little shot-happy, but based on the ridiculously tough shots he often made, it was hard to blame him too much. Despite being undersized, James’ lightning quickness and supreme ball handling skills allowed him to beat defenders to a spot, including when he’d launch a step-back jumper so fast it didn’t even give his opponent a chance to react:
Mike James doing some fancy footwork and beautiful shooting. #SummerSuns pic.twitter.com/vagFJ7WPG9
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 21, 2015
Mickey McConnell quickly proved himself as quite possibly the best passer on the Summer Suns’ roster, whipping passes behind his back in transition like they were nothing. But James wasn’t a bad floor general by any means, finding open shooters — or, what would be open shooters if Archie Goodwin and T.J. Warren were legitimate three-point threats — after penetrating.
Furthermore, James displayed his excellent rebounding skills for his position. If you did a double-take watching a guard soar in for a defensive rebound over a bigger player and thought it was the 6’6″ Devin Booker for a moment, you’re probably not alone. From his timing to his jumping ability, James did a great job helping Phoenix close out stops with a defensive rebound.
Speaking of James’ jumping ability, it’s amazing we’ve made it this far without mentioning that MIKE
JAMES
GETS
UP.
This steal and slam comes courtesy of @TheNatural_05 #SummerSuns pic.twitter.com/nFTFRMSAHi
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 21, 2015
The NBA has plenty of great athletes, but I don’t think anybody was expecting the relatively unknown and entirely undersized Mike James to have that many ridiculously high-flying highlights. This guy can jump out of the gym and in two of those clips, he displayed a great feel for the game to even get the opportunity to showcase his high-wire act.
In one of those dunks, James hits his man with a perfect backdoor cut to free himself up for his LeBron James impression. In another, he darts right back into the play out of nowhere to get an easy steal and rise above the rim before his opponents can even blink.
In the Summer League championship game, he pretty much gave fans the full Mike James experience. In the biggest game of the tournament, he came through with a monster game of 32 points (10-of-18 shooting, 3-of-6 from three-point range), eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.
Between the athleticism, the speed and the ability to light up the scoreboard in an instant, you’d be hard-pressed to find many Suns fans who are more excited about Ronnie Price than the intriguing potential of this 24-year-old.
Next: Cons