Suns’ Bench: a Strong Suit Moving Forward

The Phoenix Suns bench will either feature a former starting point guard, or a 2015-2016 All-Rookie First-Team selection this season. But is it up to par with the NBA?

Players like Devin Booker, Jared Dudley, Tyler Ulis, Alex Len, and either Marquese Chriss or Dragan Bender will be the second line of defense for Phoenix this season. For a team with a lot to fix, their second team looks like a well-oiled machine.

The Suns didn’t come into the offseason searching for a star, or a massive trade, whether the media said there were or not. What they were doing was rounding out their young team with players to take pressure off the starters.

Last season, guys like Archie Goodwin and John Jenkins were not a reliable second string. It isn’t like the Suns are looking to win an NBA Championship this season, but they certainly are making steps towards it, one being their bench.

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For starters, the Suns added two returning veterans that can have more of a presence than leadership. Neither player can take over roles of the young and developing stars the Suns have in their starting lineup, or even take minutes from players like Dragan Bender, Tyler Ulis, and Marquese Chriss, but if they play a role player role than their impact can be great. These veterans need to stay within the 10-15 minute range. If they can, they’ll play the role of quality players who give young players rest – the best of both worlds scenario.

For the rest of the Suns’ bench, having Tyler Ulis and most-likely Brandon Knight run the floor while Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker aren’t playing is basically having a second starting pair of guards.

The former SEC player of the year in Ulis, who had one of the best Summer League performances of 2016 isn’t going to be a player who rides the bench in 2016-2017. He’ll be looked at as either the second point or shooting guard for the Suns this season. He may be young, but he’s going to give the Suns some of the best defensive play of the season.

The best bench player for Phoenix this season, Brandon Knight? Yes, it is a question mark. It’s still unknown what the starting lineup will be for the Suns at the beginning of the season. Whether they decide it’s time for Devin Booker to stay in the starting lineup or continue to play Bledsoe and Knight as the backcourt is still yet to be determined. But for right now, it’s assumed that Booker will crack the starting lineup while Knight comes off the bench. Because of that, the Suns will have a player who had arguably his best season last year coming off the bench with Ulis, Dudley, and Barbosa.

Knight will play more minutes than players like Dudley and Barbosa, which does nothing but keep the backcourt fresh and talented at all times. He’s easily going to be the biggest asset for the Suns’ bench.

As for the rookie forwards, whether Bender or Chriss crack the starting lineup is up for grabs. As of right now, signs say that Chriss will be the starter come preseason.