The Phoenix Suns’ best point guard: Shaquille Harrison
There are plenty of point guards on the Phoenix Suns. Tyler Ulis, Elfrid Payton and Brandon Knight (kind of) have all manned the position throughout their careers. Then there’s the rookie Shaquille Harrison. He’s the best point guard on the roster.
Point guard has been a massive need for the Phoenix Suns ever since Eric Bledsoe mailed it in three games into this past season. Since then, the only two legitimate options that Head Coach Jay Triano had was the duo of Tyler Ulis and Elfrid Payton who each did nothing to show that they are capable of manning the position full-time, or long-term. Ulis doesn’t have the size to compete with most NBA guards, and Payton’s lack of effort was disappointing from nearly the moment he was traded to Phoenix.
But then, late in the year, General Manager Ryan McDonough found what appeared to be a diamond in the rough: Shaquille Harrison. A defensive-minded point from the University of Tulsa, Harrison quickly proved himself worthy of more minutes and even consideration for the starting job next season.
Phoenix Suns
Harrison’s defensive prowess it the key difference between him and other point guards on the roster. He recorded four steals in a game on three separate occasions and averaged a steal a game on the season.
But defensive abilities beside, Harrison has shown skill scoring the ball. He reached double digit scoring five times and Harrison was easily the best Suns in terms on plus/minus this early on. Despite appearing in only 23 games, he owned a positive plus/minus in 14 of those games. Given that only three of those outings were wins, that is an impressive stat.
Of course, while Harrison seems to have the makings of a solid backup point guard, this goes to show how dire the Suns’ guard situation really is. Payton has shown a severe lack of interest and skill.
Meanwhile, Tyler Ulis saved his best stretch of the season for when it had no real impact on the Suns’ draft position. Needless to say, that doesn’t look good for his future prospects in Phoenix.
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Yet, there’s a silver lining for the Phoenix Suns and the point guard position. The Suns have found themselves a quality, defensive-minded backup point guard. His name is Shaquille Harrison and he is the best point guard the Suns have on the roster – for now.