The Phoenix Suns have an opportunity to improve at point guard by selecting from a good group of young, exciting point guards in the NBA draft.
We are about to get another good look at the Phoenix Suns when the season resumes which will provide more opportunity to assess what the team needs heading into the offseason.
As things currently stand, the Suns have to be excited about a few of their pieces surrounding Devin Booker. The All-Star has seemingly been doing it all on his own for what seems like an eternity but began to receive some help this year. Deandre Ayton, Cameron Johnson, and Mikal Bridges appear to be young core members for the future as they have already shown they can contribute. Kelly Oubre has also had a career year, and he will be under contract for one more season.
So how should the Suns attack the draft? What areas do the team need to address? With Booker, Oubre, Johnson, and Bridges all being able to play out on the perimeter, this doesn’t appear to be an area of need. Another 3-and-D player is never a bad thing, but this wouldn’t be considered the biggest weakness for the Suns.
At point guard, Ricky Rubio has done a solid job running the show and many would point to his leadership as a key reason the Suns record, despite being 23-39, has improved drastically. While still not putting any fear in the eyes of defenders, his 3-point shooting has been respectable, sitting at 35% on 3.1 3PA per game.
Ty Jerome has had his moments, and even though he is a rookie, you question how much more he will be able to add to his game. He’s always going to play solid defense, a given when you play your college ball at Virginia. Having said that, he lacks the playmaking, burst, and ability that could put him in the upper echelon of point guards.
Going forward, I’d like to see the Phoenix Suns add a point guard, namely someone who could both learn from Rubio and be able to take over the position in due time. So what are the best point guards options in this year’s draft?
LaMelo Ball
If LaMelo Ball were available, having a big guard with the potential passing abilities of Rubio to go along with what should be the size and length of a quality defender would be too good to pass up.
There are certainly questions about how well he will be able to shoot in the NBA, as he shot 25% on 6.7 threes per game. Big yikes. Even Lonzo with his horrendous form shot 41% on 5.4 threes per game. All things considered, a 6’7” point guard that could impact the game in a multitude of ways shouldn’t be passed up. While you never know what will happen on draft day, the Suns should be around the range to select one of 4 point guards to take over the reins from Rubio. Let’s take a look at their options.
RJ Hampton
RJ Hampton spent the past year playing for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL and didn’t particularly impress. Side note, I love seeing college studs on foreign rosters. There’s something special about scanning the roster, spotting Scottie Hopson, and thinking “Tennessee Scottie?”
Anyway, Tennessee Scottie was the far superior guard on the Breakers, and the fact that RJ Hampton was 9th on the team in minutes and was 11th out of 15 in FG% is worrisome. For someone whose top attribute out of high school was being a scorer, it’s an issue.
Having said that, his athleticism is off the charts, and he is an absolute terror when he gets into the open court. His body is NBA ready, and he should be able to guard multiple positions in the league. It will be interesting to see if he can start to develop his game more in the half-court offense.
Cole Anthony
Cole Anthony was another top prospect who got off to a hot start for the Tar Heels but ultimately didn’t live up to expectations during his stint in Chapel Hill. Here’s the thing though; as Roy Williams so famously pointed out, this was not a particularly talented roster. Cole Anthony was not the problem, though.
He was clearly the best player on the floor for the Tar Heels, and defenses keyed on him. He still managed to average 18.5 points per game, to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists. His 38% from the field wasn’t particularly impressive, but he nearly shot 35% from 3 on a high volume.
Offensively, Cole can stick a 3 from deep off of a pick and roll, but also has shown that he can split the gap when the opponent’s big hedges, and while not having tremendous size, he is capable of getting off his shot inside. While he has a well built, compact body, his lack of height and length does limit his defensive versatility at the next level.
Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Haliburton has to remind you of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and I’m not just talking about the short shorts. The young Cyclones point guard put up impressive stats this past year before having his season cut short with an injury.
Before that, he averaged 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game this season. He has a long, lanky frame, and is a willing defender, capable of guarding multiple positions at the next level. He also has the ability to both create offense as well as be a spot-up shooter.
The sophomore shot 50.4% from the field, and 41.9% from 3, and he was jacking up 5.6 3’s per game. It isn’t the prettiest jumper, but it is very effective. He also showed he can use his size to his advantage in the lane, holding off defenders with his body and looking for opportunities to hoist a variety of floaters.
Killian Hayes
Killian Hayes is still only 18 years old but was in his 3rd year of pro ball playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in the EuroCup, and frankly, he might be glad the season ended prematurely. With a record of 1-9, the team was last in the standings.
Having said that, Hayes was not to blame, as he was having a solid season, averaging 12.8 points and 6.2 assists per game. He shot 45% from the field and 39% from 3, pretty impressive considering his age and the level of competition. He has a good frame and could be able to guard 1s and 2s in the league. While he did seem to overuse going to his left, he still showed good vision and finishing ability around the rim, knowing when the appropriate time was to dish it off to the big man or put up a shot.
When the draft comes and goes, the Phoenix Suns might not even select a point guard, but given there current team, it would seem wise to invest in the position at some point. We don’t know where the Suns will be drafting, but when looking at these five point guards in the draft, there are a lot of different, quality options available to them.