After a rocky rookie season where he spent the majority of the time recovering from injury and playing in the G-League, Phoenix Suns shooting guard Davon Reed looks to rebound with a strong sophomore year.
Davon Reed is one of the biggest question marks on the Phoenix Suns roster.
He was an incredible defensive presence at the University of Miami, and his Suns teammates have been openly supportive of him last season and this past Las Vegas Summer League.
However, his NBA minutes in 2017-18 left much to be desired and to have a substantial role in the rotation this year some improvements must be made.
Phoenix waited until the last minute to guarantee Reed’s contract for this season after reportedly planning on cutting ties following Summer League.
Davon Reed has played well in the first two games but I believe the guaranteed date on his contract was only pushed back to give him a chance to showcase himself in the summer league for other teams. He barely played last year so important to get some film and some reps.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) July 8, 2018
Fortunately, Reed had an extremely impressive Vegas showing where he displayed the defensive IQ that got him drafted, as well as an extremely fluid and confident jump shot, a promising sign after shooting just under 28.9% from beyond the arc last season (he averaged 39.5% on 512 college attempts).
A few times he showed the ability to create space with the ball in his hands to shoot a 3, and his off ball movement left him open for multiple deep shots instead of becoming stagnant without the ball.
In Igor Kokoskov’s system, Reed could potentially be a perfect fit. In an offense emphasizing movement off the ball and utilizing all players for creation, Reed’s off ball IQ and ability to handle the rock projects as a nice compliment in an offense.
A lot of how he looks this season (and if he earns regular minutes) will rely simply on if he can be effective with catch-and-shoot 3’s.
If Summer League was any indicator where he shot over 41% from deep, he has made a leap from college and last season.
While he occasionally brought the ball up on a fast break in Vegas, his passing was lackluster. His vision was noticeable, but has to improve his passing skills to become a bigger threat on offense.
Chances are these changes won’t come in earnest this season, but they don’t need to. His role looks to be a 3-and-D bench option who can enter the game and help everyone around him.
It’s been no secret Phoenix struggles on defense, and it’s the biggest red flag used against Devin Booker when critics discuss his ranking in youth stardom as he rapidly becomes one of the best young players in the Association.
When paired together, Reed can stick on the opponent’s top offensive guard and space the floor for Booker, or create a dynamic defensive pairing next to Shaquille Harrison, Josh Jackson, or Mikal Bridges.
The Phoenix Suns have very clearly focused on forming the roster around Devin Booker. This offseason they added defensive weapons, players who can space the floor, and a dominant interior presence in Deandre Ayton.
With a little improvement in a few areas, Reed could fit perfectly into the team’s young core and what the Phoenix Suns hope to become in the future: championship contenders.