Phoenix Suns 5-on-5: Prepping For Media Day
By Gavin Schall
4. Of the Suns five new signees who has the best chance to make the roster?
Gerald Bouguet: Henry Sims. During his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Sims was surprisingly good as a starter. In fact, he was so useful the Sixers had to bench him because he was actually helping the team win games. Sims won’t play much, but he’ll be nice insurance for a soon-to-be 33-year-old Tyson Chandler and Alex Len, a player with bad injury luck.
Gavin Schall: Unlike the vast majority of last season’s Philadelphia 76ers, Sims actually belongs on an NBA roster. Per 36 minutes he averaged 15 points and nine rebounds a game. I’ll gladly take that level of production from my 15th man (a.k.a. the Shavlik Randolph spot).
Given the quality of his teammates, he obviously wouldn’t get the same amount of touches or playing time with the Suns, but his efficiency would only improve. Jefferson is a nice rebounder, but not the all-around player Sims is.
Scott Chasen: Henry Sims seems the most likely purely based off the fact he played in a ton of NBA games last year and was pretty decent. I will say I’ve always been somewhat of a Cory Jefferson fan, just based off watching him at Baylor. Jefferson had more than a couple of 20-10 games there his senior year, but he was never really that great.
However, Sims is really the one player out of the group that I look at as being able to step into a game, at least for various parts. If he’s your fifth or sixth big behind Chandler, Len, Morris, Mirza Teletovic and Jon Leuer, that’s not too shabby. Plus, he appears to be a good character guy too.
Spencer Hann: Any other year where the names “Chandler” and “Len” wouldn’t be stitched into the Suns’ opening day uniforms, the 6’10” big man, Henry Sims, would be a lock to make the squad. However, I can’t see any of the new signees making this year’s team. And on a side note, the Suns truly missed an opportunity not signing Mike James right after Summer League, a player who had a damn good shot at making the team.
Troy Tauscher: I think Henry Sims because he’s the one with competent NBA minutes to his record, but I know very little about the other guys. I think the Suns need a reserve big man that isn’t Jon Leuer in case Chandler (old) and Len (ankle) are hurt or something. I think the guard rotation is too full for it to be worth keeping any of the others.
Next: No. 5