2016-17 Player Reviews: Marquese Chriss

Few rookies come into the league and perform like Marquese Chriss did this season

One thing the Suns lacked after the 2016-16 season was a player who could finish strong at the basket. Finishing this past seasons with 103 dunks, 64% shooting on two-point field goals and half of his points scored in the paint, Marquese Chriss showed that he can be that player.

Tough as Nails

From the moment he first stepped onto the court at Talking Stick Resort Arena, it was clear Chriss was going to be one of the toughest players in the NBA. Over the season he had six games with more than three blocks, including back-to-back games with five and four blocks respectively.

Of the 15 players on the Suns roster, Chriss was the only player to play in all 82 games and one of only 17 in the entire league who appeared in every game including LeBron James. In fact, LeBron has never  played all 82 games. In other words, Marquese Chriss is tougher than even LeBron James.

Inconsistency

There were quite a few times Chriss would play fantastic. Unfortunately there were also quite a few times he would play sub-par. That was mainly due to him being a rookie, but at times Chriss did not know what shot to take, sometimes he would camp out at the perimeter, and at others times he would camp out right at the basket.

With his 6’10” frame he can dominate the defensive glass. As of now he just cannot rebound with the efficiency needed. He did have a few games where he put up double-digit rebounding numbers, but he will need to become more physical down low and learn how to chase the ball with controlled abandon to really be the formidable rebounding power forward the Suns need him to be].

Summary

In a few seasons, Marquese Chriss could be an elite attacker of the rim i.e. Blake Griffin or Anthony Davis. For now he is a promising young player who will need to improve his awareness on the court and his rebounding. With the right amount of work, Chriss will be in Phoenix for a long time.