Suns re-signing T.J. Warren has many positives

Current Depth

While still in rebuild mode, the Suns are still attempting to find depth as well star players to help fill out their roster prior to their next series of playoff runs. A player of Warren’s potential and caliber could be key to the success of such future runs.

I have long compared Warren to Cedric Ceballos who statistically Warren too has many similarities (although truthfully based on the way each plays their game, they are much more comparable than Warren to Joe Johnson as illustrated in the previous slide).

The Ceballos comparison is borne out of the necessity of depth on any good team, and the ability to have a potential starter on many other teams, coming off of their bench. The kind of player that Cedric Ceballos was for his first few years with the Suns, including the 1992-93 NBA Finals season.

Cedric was a point-a-minute scorer for the Suns off the bench, an offensive catalyst that would not only help the bench keep the lead with the starters resting, but actually push to expand it. Ceballos was also a very good rebounder for a small forward, the kind of player who could impact the game on both ends of the court in a manner that made his role that much more valuable.

Warren’s position on the roster, presuming his own health is intact, could also be perfect for any potential, unfortunate, and possibly untimely injury to a starter as his starter ability to step right up would allow the Suns to make a move nearly seamlessly.

Is he at this point yet? Honestly? Maybe.

There was talk already last season that he could have been the Most Improved Player of the Year prior to his injury. But now, if he enters this season with the same scoring and rebounding prowess that he finished last season with, not only is that award back up for grabs if healthy, but so too could be the Sixth Man of the Year award, should Josh Jackson be fitted directly into the Suns’ starting lineup