Phoenix Suns PG Isaiah Canaan is playing too much

Isaiah Canaan, a heartwarming comeback story, fought his way back onto the roster after suffering a gruesome injury last season. But, is he playing too much this season?

Every one loves an underdog and everyone loves a come back story.

Isaiah Canaan has his own come back story.

Called up from the G-League last season, he was off to a good start in a Phoenix Suns uniform.

Then tragedy struck and a nasty injury ended his season.

He fought hard to make his way back onto the team and even into the starting lineup this season.

However, he’s not a starter for a competitive team with winning hopes. And, at 29.5 minutes per game after the first four matches, he’s arguably playing too much.

I like the guy. I really do. He can shoot the rock. He has a drive that you love to see in a sports player for your favorite team.

But, at 27-years-old, he is who he is at this point: a decent player off the bench. Not a starting point guard.

The reason he’s starting right now is due to being more experienced and more proven than the other point guards on the Suns roster. That doesn’t mean he’s better. That just means he was initially given the upper hand.

13 assists to 9 turnovers after the first four games gives him a 1.4 assist to turnover ratio. That does not cut it. At all.  He’s also only shooting 38% from the field and 30% from downtown. So, he hasn’t shown anything that would mandate him keeping the starting job – or even playing nearly 30 minutes per game.

Shaquille Harrison showed some serious defensive potential but he didn’t show enough as a playmaker, turned the ball over too much, and couldn’t find a jumper.

Elie Okobo, the Suns’ second round pick in 2018, has a bright future and his potential looks to see him be an offensive spark plug. But through the preseason he hasn’t looked quite ready.

De’Anthony Melton, selected in the second round and brought to Phoenix via a trade with the Houston Rockets in the summer, also has a bright future and his potential shows him as a good defensive player and nice fit next to Devin Booker. Again though, through the preseason he also hasn’t looked quite ready.

However, that doesn’t mean Okobo and Melton truly aren’t ready to help the team at all. They very well could. But, they really won’t help if they aren’t given an opportunity. Sometimes a shot against real high-level competition is the best thing you can give a young player to help them grow.

The duo had only played a total of 14 minutes through the first four games of the season before Okobo got extended minutes (and succeeded) in the Suns’ last two games. They’ll each need more than that to see just what they do have at this point.

If they don’t show they have anything to contribute right now, they can go back to the end of the bench. But, no one will know until they actually play.

Jamal Crawford was signed just prior to the season also. Yes, he’s 38. Yes, he’s more of a shooting guard. But, he entered this league as a point guard believe it or not. And he’s a veteran with a knowledge of what it takes to get to winning basketball.

He’s played limited minutes through his first three games and only logged a total of 28 minutes. However, he’s put up 8 points, 6 assists and 2 steals with only 2 turnovers in that time.

Impressive? No. But, a 3.0 assist to turnover ratio is twice as good as Canaan’s 1.4 ratio. And, Crawford’s shooting woes early on is nothing to worry about when you look at his career.

Who knows which of these is the answer out of the Suns current roster? No one.

But the right answer is NOT playing Canaan close to 30 minutes per game.

Give the other lead guards on the roster a chance. You might be surprised with the results.