2. Best non-Markieff related development from media day?
Bourguet: Eric Bledsoe. What we saw was a player excited to start the season, someone who spent his summer doing everything he could to establish himself as someone ready to take the next step as a leader on this team. He looked bigger (which I didn’t think was possible), he seemed genuinely happy to talk to the media (which wasn’t always the case last year) and he was even cracking jokes. He was easily one of the biggest personalities at Media Day, which can only be good news moving forward.
Schall: I’m going to cheat and give two things. Eric Bledsoe looking like there was a massive weight off his shoulders, and the fact that it was the first time I’ve ever seen him truly comfortable talking to the media. Second was Bledsoe’s quote about T.J. Warren collecting the most wins of any player in the scrimmages, which tells me he’s turning into what I think he can be — the best scorer on this team.
Harris: Although I did not attend, I think the Tyson Chandler saying, “I’m not going to answer that” about the DeAndre Jordan situation was funny, considering the fiasco that occurred in big D.
Tauscher: Not to jump back, but when Markieff said that he was going to get better with or without his brother, that stood out to me. I think the biggest redeeming factor in this situation is that he still seems like he’s putting playing good basketball and winning above his personal feelings. It wasn’t a big thing, but in my opinion that was the most positive sign.
Chasen: The continual talk about a Twin Towers lineup feels like a good answer to this question, but I’ll go in a different direction. To hear head coach Jeff Hornacek praise T.J. Warren’s effort on the defensive end was a pretty solid development. I think most Suns fans are on board with the idea that Warren is the wing of the future, and if that’s going to be the case, he needs to be able to do much more than just getting into good positions on the court and scoring the ball.
Now, don’t get me wrong; those traits are solid player skills to have, but short of being one of the best two or three scorers in the league, you can only help a team so much with offensive talent. And let’s not forget, Warren is still fighting — or at the very least, later in the year he will be fighting — for a potential starting spot with veteran P.J. Tucker. If Warren’s defense shows significant signs of improvement, then there’s basically no reason left not to start him, given how strong he was at the end of the year.
Next: No. 3