Suns: 5 Goals For Archie Goodwin In 2015-16

By Gerald Bourguet | Sep 4, 2015

Apr 7, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek talks with guard Archie Goodwin (20) in the third quarter of their game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 96-69. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 10, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Archie Goodwin (20) shoots the ball over New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans (1) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 90-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Shoot 34 Percent From Three-Point Range

It’s no secret that one of Goodwin’s two major flaws as an NBA player is perimeter shooting. As a rookie he shot an anemic 13.9 percent from three-point range (5-for-36), and last year he “improved” to 29.3 percent (12-for-41). The sample sizes are small, but based on everything we’ve seen so far, three-point shooting just isn’t in his offensive repertoire.

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That’s why in 2015-16, Goodwin’s focus should be on quality, not quantity. If he’s able to work his way into the rotation, the quantity will come. What Goodwin needs to concentrate on now is making those extra looks count when he gets them. Along that train of thought, bumping his three-point efficiency up five percentage points would be both encouraging and attainable.

Sure, 34 percent shooting from downtown isn’t anything to write home about. But Goodwin needs to prove that with the right amount of hard work, he’s still trending in the right direction. At NBA Summer League, Goodwin revealed a new and improved release on his jumper that could help his progress as a perimeter shooter:

Before, Goodwin would normally bring the shot across his body from the left side, creating an awkward hitch that limited him to an awful 48.6 percent true shooting percentage last year:

That being said, even with that much smoother jump shot, Goodwin still only converted 31.3 percent of his three-point attempts at Summer League, so this is going to be a major work in progress. With three-point shooter Devin Booker on board, Goodwin doesn’t need to tailor his game after the newest Suns rookie.

But if he wants to be effective on a team that needs three-point shooting, his athleticism and ability to attack the rim won’t be enough. The NBA is transitioning further and further into the pace-and-space era, which means that even a serviceable three-point shot will make Goodwin more playable off the bench than he’s ever been.

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