The curious case of Tyler Ulis

The under six foot tall NBA point guard.

Often associated with cliches like: slept on; would have been a lottery pick if they were 6’3; spark plug; and could have been great if they had better size. All of this is synonymous with Phoenix Suns second year floor general Tyler Ulis.

Standing at 5 feet 9 inches tall (in shoes) Ulis isn’t striking fear into defenses with his size. His strength lies with his quickness and intellectual chops with the ball in his hands.

Not receiving  much time at the beginning of the year, Ulis really turned it on at the end of the season when Phoenix shut down starter Eric Bledsoe to better the team’s chances at the, as I like to call it, “Get Josh Jackson Tank-a-thon.” Taking over the reigns as starter, Ulis played exceptional with the talent that was put around him, rolling with record setting young lineups short on talent.

(This was the youngest starting lineup in NBA history)

So where does Tyler Ulis fit in moving forward?

In year two of the the young guard’s career, he will not be beginning the season where he ended last year, as the starter. Rather he will be the backup to Bledsoe and I envision as one of the

premier back up point guards in this league. Last year Ulis showed flashes of being able to become a full-time starter, most memorably in a performance against Houston where he recorded 34 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists (imagine you aren’t reading a Tyler Ulis article and this sounds like an average Russell Westbrook evening).

Ulis will lead a second unit that has the potential to be lethal, running his efficient machine like the pick and roll with Alan Williams if re-signed, which looks likely at this juncture. There is also the potential of having a scoring wing in T.J. Warren off the bench with him to rack up assists.

In the long term I believe that Ulis has the ability to take over for Eric Bledsoe when he hits his inevitable decline – or is traded. He can become a poor man’s Isaiah Thomas (the one that got away) if he works on his outside shooting and develops more a lethal scoring mentality. His floor can likely be of his Head Coach, and have an Earl Watson-type career where he is counted on to run the second unit. Either way, hopefully he is guiding future Suns playoff teams for many years to come.

The future is growing brighter for the Phoenix Suns who have been in the cellar of the NBA for the better part of a decade, and Tyler Ulis is looking like a major key to this up and coming squad.