The Phoenix Suns see potential in Shaquille Harrison
Shaquille Harrison has apparently made a strong enough impression with the Phoenix Suns that the franchise wants to take a second look at the guard.
Recently, I wrote about how the Phoenix Suns signing Shaquille Harrison to a 10-day contract would be barely nothing or something positive for the franchise’s future. The jury is still out on that verdict. Suns’ general manager Ryan McDonough apparently needs more time to evaluate Harrison. Scott Bordow of azcentral tweeted out the Suns’ recent transaction involving Harrison.
Suns sign Shaw Harrison to second 10 day contract
— scott bordow (@sbordow) March 3, 2018
Bordow quickly corrected the typo in a followup tweet, but the message was received. While this isn’t a guarantee that Harrison will be signed for the rest of the season, it’s an encouraging sign for those hoping that Harrison would stick with the roster. Josh Gray also got a second 10-day contract before getting released by the team. However, Harrison has something going for him that Gray doesn’t have.
| Rk | Player | Season | Age | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Gray | 2017-18 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 17.2 | .268 | .231 | .286 | .305 | .636 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 6.4 |
| 2 | Shaquille Harrison | 2017-18 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 8.6 | .333 | .500 | .250 | .417 | 1.000 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 1.8 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/4/2018.
It’s evident that Harrison may not put up as big scoring numbers as Gray, but Harrison is a much more efficient shooter. In the past, I wrote about how Gray needed to be more efficient on offense and yet failed to do so. While Harrison’s percentages aren’t great, they are more consistent than Gray’s. To be fair to Harrison, he has only taken a total of six shots in five games, so it’s a little too soon to say he’s a poor shooter. However, he needs to show a little more aggression on offense.
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Harrison shows potential on defense as well. In Harrison’s first four games he had four steals in two of them, including his debut. This puts him with Alvan Adams as the only two Suns’ rookies to record at least four steals multiple times in their first four games. Harrison has been quoted on how defense is his focus when playing, reported by Craig Grialou of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Which is great for a team who allows the most points per game in the NBA. Harrison could be the defensive point guard that comes off the bench if he can become more well rounded and aggressive on offense.
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Harrison’s defense is something for McDonough to be excited about, but Harrison has much to prove on offense before becoming a viable option for the Phoenix Suns for the rest of the season. Harrison has put himself into a good situation to succeed thus far, but he has to play both sides of the court to do so. If he can show more on the offensive side of the ball, there should be no reason why he can’t stick with the team for the rest of the season.