3 more players that can be the Phoenix Suns’ fifth starter
By Matt Escobar
3 more players that can be the Suns’ fifth starter.
1. Keita Bates-Diop
One of the more underrated moves of free agency was the Suns getting Keita Bates-Diop for the minimum. He had a breakout season last year with the San Antonio Spurs, in which he averaged career highs across the board. Most notably, his 3-point percentage moved up to 39 percent after hovering in the low 30s for his career to date.
Bates-Diop is more of a diverse offensive player than Watanabe and Camara as his shot selection is spread out pretty evenly. He’s not elite in any one area, but has good percentages inside and outside of the arc.
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He has a more well-rounded, complementary offensive game, along with his ability to switch defensively through four positions. On paper this looks like it will mesh well with the other Suns starters.
An underrated factor for Bates-Diop is that he has more starting experience than any of the other Suns’ wing options as he started over half of the Spurs’ games last year. Watanabe has started just nine NBA games in his career, and Camara, of course, is a rookie. That experience, along with Bates-Diop’s skillset, could ultimately land him the final starting spot here.