It’s time to move on from Marquese Chriss before it’s too late
By Adam Maynes
When the Suns traded up for Marquese Chriss, they acquired insurance at power forward.
Four picks prior to his selection, the Suns had drafted Croatian sensation Dragan Bender, a power forward in a non-traditional sense. Bender is a stretch-the-floor shooter with an above average offensive IQ in the mold of a Dirk Nowitzki or Kristaps Porzingis.
Chriss, on the other hand, lives in a world of extreme athleticism. His game is high-flying and above the rim. He can shoot alright, but he is most effective off passes towards the hoop that he can catch and slam home before the defense can react. He struggles to create shots for himself (with 64.3% of all baskets scored on assists – third on the team for all players who have played in at least six games), although when open, he can drive a bit.
By drafting two power forwards, the Suns gave themselves the chance to be wrong on one of them, with the hope that at least the other was the right choice.
While Bender is showing slow-but-steady improvement this season, Unfortunately Chriss has several problems to his game that makes him both incredibly frustrating to watch, and I’m sure frustrating to coach as well.
In my opinion, the Suns need to move on from Marquese Chriss already, thus cashing in on that insurance policy, allowing Bender to continue his growth undeterred at power forward, and using Chriss as trade bait for another star player.