Previously at Valley of the Suns, we had a post on power forwards to keep an eye on. There are a few more names not previously mentioned that could be a good fit on this young Phoenix Suns roster.
The only true power forwards the Phoenix Suns current have on their roster are Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender and though it may be too early to give up on them, it would be a wise move to add to that position prior to opening night.
Free agency is one of the best ways to do so.
Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough has mentioned time and time again that he wants to add more veterans to the team. With the core being 22-years-old or younger, even a 24-year-old with four years of experience would bring more knowledge of the game.
Without further ado, let’s jump right in to my list:
JERAMI GRANT (6-9 220, 24-years-old)
Season Stats : 53-29-67 shooting (0.4 treys) for 8.4 pts, 3.9 rebs, 0.4 stls and 1 blk in 20.3 mins
No, his stats don’t jump out at you. No, he’s not the description of a veteran. But, yes, he is good and yes, he would help.
He has four seasons of NBA experience under his belt and at 24 he kind of is a vet compared to the majority of players currently on the roster if you think about it.
The Suns need a rim protector and though Grant is on the small side for a big, he is athletic and will meet his opponent at the rim and not be afraid to return the gift back to it’s sender. He’s had eight games in his short career with at least 5 swats including a career high 8 block effort (in 25 minutes at that). He could be a fly swatter for Phoenix.
The potential as a shooter is there too. He has made 159 treys on 30.1% accuracy in four years. Even if that 3-point shot doesn’t turn into a smooth operation, he is effective from the field as evidenced by his 56% accuracy in 11 playoff games.
In 68 games where he has started in his career, he has averaged 9.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.
Keep in mind, with the poor roster around the Thunder’s main guys he has been asked to help with the scoring load which he wasn’t ready for.
The Suns will have plenty of guys that can do the scoring. If he can just meet the offensive guys at the rim he’s worth it. But only for the right price. And I can’t see why he wouldn’t come on the cheap. Low risk, high reward. He could end up blossoming as a Phoenix Sun.