The Phoenix Suns have seen a remarkable resurgence under Jay Triano. The team is 4-1 since the firing of Earl Watson and the players seem to be developing before our eyes while giving their all every single night. Well, that is except for Marquese Chriss.
From a statistical standpoint, Chriss seems to be having a better year than his rookie campaign. He’s in the starting lineup, and so far he’s usually on the floor to end games as well. Numbers-wise, there isn’t really a debate who should be the starting power forward for the Phoenix Suns.
However, an eye test tells a much different story. In just the five games with a new head coach, Dragan Bender looks like a completely different player. He is attacking the basket more, athough admittedly still not as much as he should be at 7’1″. His shot is falling more as well – 34.6% so far this season and at least one is his last seven games, a career-high – and he’s making good passes without holding the ball for too long.
The most exciting part about Dragan’s game – at this point at least – is his defense. He has exceptional footwork and hands, especially for a player his size. He can block shots well, and he knows how to stay in front of his man regardless of their size.
While rebounding still needs to be worked on, he shows promise on the offensive glass. And let’s not forget, Bender is still 19-years-old. He doesn’t turn 20 until the 17th of November. He has plenty of time to continue to develop.
This video illustrates multiple examples of Bender’s potential, as well as his current NBA skill set that he brings to the table.
Marquese Chriss has just as much potential as Dragan Bender. There is no denying that. Chriss has definitely developed his 3-pointer entering this season. His form looks better, and he’s converting his shots at a much better clip than his rookie season.
However, there has also been signs of regression and stagnation from ‘Quese as well.
His attitude and effort have been sorely lacking so far this season. (To give credit where credit is due, he played much better in his latest game against Washington.) If he doesn’t get off to a good start, he stays cold for the rest of the game. He is also still not rebounding the ball well at all. Believe it or not, the only starter Chriss out-rebounding is Mike James.
Phoenix Suns
Chriss still hasn’t shown much game in the paint or facing up from mid-range, and on defense, Marquese continues to get in foul trouble and become more or less a non-factor late in games when in foul trouble.
A lot of the stagnation originally could definitely be attributed to Earl Watson and the funk he had this team in. Chriss has started to turn it around, at least from an effort standpoint. But he still does not offer as much to the team as Bender does, right now.
Dragan Bender has had a huge defensive impact on the Phoenix Suns so far this season. As of right now, he is arguably the best defender on the team, even off the bench. I think this team needs that defensive integrity in their starting lineup. Even with the new direction under Triano, the team still struggles out of the gates sometimes.
Bender is not going to score 30 a game anytime soon, but he would also benefit from some easy looks with Booker and Warren garnering most of the defense’s attention. Marquese Chriss would be a really good bench player right now, if he dedicated himself to bringing energy and athleticism off the bench for the team. A pick and roll with Ullis and Marquese could be very deadly, especially against other teams’ second units.
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It is too early to say who should be the starter in the future, or if both of them shouldn’t start at some point down the road. However, as of now, Dragan is flat-out playing better than Marquese. The Suns, despite their quick turnaround, are still not a playoff team. They have a good coach that knows how to develop talent, and plenty of young talent prime for developing. Bender and Chriss both figure to be a part of this team’s long-term plans. Based on their play so far, Dragan Bender deserves a starting spot, at least to see how the team plays and how he improves.