Phoenix Suns: Isaiah Canaan made Mike James expendable
Isaiah Canaan has come into the Phoenix Suns rotation and has proven to be valuable, so much so, that his presence made Mike James more than expendable.
With the injury to Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns were left with a thin rotation in the backcourt of Tyler Ulis, Troy Daniels, Mike James and Josh Jackson. It’s evident that Jackson isn’t playing his natural position and Daniel’s best skill is shooting. Interim head coach Jay Triano had been using Ulis in the starting lineup with James coming off the bench. Suns’ general manager Ryan McDonough added journeyman Isaiah Canaan to help with the depth while Booker’s recovering. However since joining the club, Canaan’s proved to be much more valuable to the Suns than James was. The Suns realized how much more valuable Canaan was and waived James in light of Booker’s impending return. Canaan’s skill set is much better suited for the club’s current needs.
Besides Canaan’s advantage of NBA experience, there are several things that he brings to the Suns that James simply cannot bring.
| Rk | Player | Season | Age | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah Canaan | 2017-18 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 22.3 | .400 | .421 | .385 | .489 | .958 | 2.5 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 11.2 |
| 2 | Mike James | 2017-18 | 27 | 32 | 10 | 20.9 | .388 | .268 | .442 | .429 | .762 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 10.4 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/24/2017.
Canaan’s a much more efficient shooter especially from behind the 3-point line. Beyond that, he’s a much better defender and passer with having the advantage in both steals and assists. James may have been the best player that can created his own offense besides Booker and T.J. Warren, but his scoring ability didn’t offset his low assist numbers.
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The Suns’ will benefit by keeping Canaan on the roster for the rest of the season where he will definitely impact several categories. Currently the franchise ranks 29th in 3-point percentage, 20th in assists and 24th in steals per game. With subtracting James and retaining Canaan, the Suns should see those stats improve throughout the rest of the season. Not only will Canaan’s own stats help improve the Suns statistical categories, but his leadership and playmaking ability should help improve other Suns’ players stats.
Beyond the ability of creating offense for himself, rookie Mike James didn’t really bring much to the Phoenix Suns’ lineup. Isaiah Canaan’s experience and skills are currently much more valuable to areas where the team struggles. Suns’ fans should be thankful for what James did bring to the franchise in his short stint in Phoenix.