For a team that has been enamored with the point guard position over the last couple of years, the Phoenix Suns would seem like a prime destination for NBA Summer League darling Mike James, the 6’1″ guard from Eastern Arizona College who took the Summer Suns by storm as their starting point guard in Las Vegas.
But how realistic is it that James lands a roster spot — or even a training camp invite — from the 2015-16 Phoenix Suns?
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With three point guards already signed to guaranteed deals for next season, James will have his work cut out for him. Nothing has come particularly easy for the undersized point guard who was once one of Pat Knight’s players at Lamar who didn’t “have a clue what it takes to win” and was “stealing money” to have his scholarship.
James has succeeded individually in every step of his career, riding two stellar years at Eastern Arizona College into two tumultuous seasons of Division I basketball. Since then, he’s played in Croatia, Israel, Italy, Greece and Spain. Two years ago he was the MVP of his Italian league and this past season in Spain, the Portland, OR native averaged 12.9 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range.
After a stellar stint with the Suns that nearly resulted in a Summer League championship, here’s a look at what Mike James brings to the table and what his odds of making the roster are.
Next: Pros
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
Cons
There’s a reason that championship game was the “full Mike James experience,” however. As good as he was, he certainly wasn’t perfect. In fact, his carelessness with the ball during two separate stints in the third and fourth quarters ultimately doomed the Suns and buried them in a hole that even his big-time performance couldn’t overcome with all those garbage time buckets.
James committed five turnovers in the game, with most of them directly leading to easy transition baskets for the Spurs. The turnovers were mostly the product of trying to dribble through two players or lazy passes, flaws that were on display from his first Summer League game.
Mike James is intriguing. He's shown a lot of playmaking ability through 2 games, but he's also shown some pretty poor decision-making.
— Jacob Padilla (@JacobPadilla_) July 13, 2015
Throughout his time in Las Vegas, James was prone to taking bad shots, playing a little too much isolation basketball and making some bad decisions with the ball. That’s not the end of the world; in Summer League, these guys have to try extra hard to make a name for themselves and stand out. Just ask Alec “I’m Going To Shoot The Ball Every Time I Catch It No Matter Where I Am On The Court” Brown.
But the lazy passes are something that’d definitely need to be cleaned up at the NBA level, since defenders would prey on a weakness like that. Getting James to buy into feeding a more talented offensive player in late-shot clock situations wouldn’t hurt either, nor would a suggestion that jumping to pass would get him in trouble at the next level against lengthier and smarter defenders.
Next: The Roster
Current Roster
In taking a quick look at the Suns’ roster for next season, it’s easy to wish for an upgrade behind Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight. Most fans are sick of anything involving more than two point guards, but Ronnie Price is an admittedly underwhelming solution to the backup point guard question.
Last season, the 32-year-old Price averaged 5.1 points and 3.8 assists in 22.8 minutes per game for the Los Angeles Lakers (in 43 games and 20 starts). He shot an underwhelming 34.5 percent from the field and an atrocious 28.4 percent from three-point range, making him the least exciting new addition to Phoenix’s roster this summer.
Suffice it to say that most Suns fans are rooting for the underdog Mike James to earn a training camp invite and somehow usurp Price for the backup point guard role.
I just want to thank the @Suns for the opportunity to play summer league. The first team to even take a look at me. I enjoyed every minute
— Mike James (@TheNatural_05) July 21, 2015
However, before Suns fans start looking for their torches and pitchforks to run Price out of town, consider how much the team needed veteran leadership last season. The addition of Tyson Chandler is meant to solve that equation, but one seasoned vet won’t help these young Suns grow up all on his own.
Price may not be able to shoot, but he’ll be a good influence for the younger guards and the Suns will always have one of Bledsoe or Knight on the floor. Price can defend, he takes care of the basketball and he’ll bring poise to the position with good decision-making. He’s not a sexy option at backup point guard like James has the potential to be, but he’s steady.
After he signed a one-year, guaranteed contract, don’t expect the Suns to get rid of Price. If James wants to make the roster, he might have to be willing to make sacrifices.
Next: The Verdict
Verdict: Invite Him To Camp
Suns fans probably shouldn’t get their hopes up here. The potential of Mike James is exciting to think about, but with Ronnie Price signed on, it’s highly unlikely the Summer Suns stud earns a spot on this roster.
James deserves an invite to an NBA training camp and the opportunity to prove himself. He’s shown he can be a terrific scorer against NBA-level talent and who knows? Maybe he’d be dynamic enough at Suns training camp to convince the front office to eventually give him backup minutes.
But for all his promise and kinetic energy, James will probably be gobbled up by another team before then, as Real GM’s Shams Charania reported this morning. The Suns may have given him the chance to show what he can do, but they only have two roster spots left. At Brandon Knight’s press conference Monday, vice president of basketball operations Lon Babby mentioned Price by name at least twice in reference to how Phoenix has bolstered its locker room with veteran presences, so don’t expect him to be going anywhere anytime soon.
If James were to earn a deal with the Suns in one of those two vacant roster spots, he’d likely be confined to the D-League for most of the 2015-16 season. Would he be willing to make that kind of sacrifice when he could be making more money overseas and actually playing? That remains to be seen.
If that’s not the case, another NBA team with a more readily accessible opening will come calling first. If that doesn’t happen, the financial draw of playing overseas could steal him away too. But if the Suns are as interested in Mike James as they should be, and if James doesn’t mind playing in the D-League until the opportunity for a call-up presents itself, there’s a slim chance he could continue his career with the Phoenix Suns.
Next: Expect A Breakout Season From T.J. Warren In 2015-16