3 more players that can be the Phoenix Suns’ fifth starter

Apr 9, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Keita Bates-Diop (31) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Keita Bates-Diop (31) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 21: Toumani Camara of the Dayton Flyers. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 21: Toumani Camara of the Dayton Flyers. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

3 more players that can be the Suns’ fifth starter.

3. Toumani Camara

Fresh off being the Suns’ lone draft pick this year, Toumani Camara put together a stellar Summer League showing out in Las Vegas. It’s hard not to overreact to what we saw with him since he checks a lot of the boxes you want in a modern four. He has the size and the athleticism to guard bigger wings, while also having great around-the-basket skills.

Camara made his bones in Summer League by relentlessly attacking the cup. He’s constantly cutting back door and making the right reads off of others when to do so. This paid off in a big way for him as he averaged over seven free-throw attempts per game.

He was also extremely aggressive on the boards, averaging seven rebounds per game. The Suns have sorely missed this kind of rim pressure and rebounding out of the wing spot in recent years. Even more so with the dependable Torrey Craig having moved on this offseason.

Camara’s 3-point shot is still a work in progress as he only converted 21 percent of his looks across the four games he played. He negated that a bit by attacking open space, but it’ll still be too much of a weak spot for him to be a realistic starting option come opening night of 2023-24.

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If he were to carry this kind of play and an improved jump shot into preseason action against NBA level competition, then that can certainly change. For now Camara remains an outside bet here, but he has certainly done his prospects no harm in limited action for the organization so far.