2. Drew Eubanks
This isn’t really a criticism of Drew Eubanks, but rather what the Suns could have gotten instead. Eubanks has been a solid professional since entering the league, but 6.1 points and 4.7 rebounds for his career so far tell their own story.
Eubanks won’t be challenging Ayton for the position of starter, and on certain nights the opponent will dictate that Durant spends some time at the five, with a mix of scorers and defensive stoppers surrounding him. With that in mind, what exactly is the point in having Eubanks then?
He has started 65 games total for his career (248 games), averaging 16 minutes of action on the court per night. Save for a 22 game stretch when he was traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Portland Trail Blazers and he put up 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, there hasn’t been much more to get excited about.
Drew Eubanks might be one of the biggest steals of the offseason. @GeraldBourguet took a look at why Suns fans should be excited, especially with his vicious shot-blocking and monster dunks ⬇️https://t.co/rLzlqJxaE0 pic.twitter.com/ixI7aojJBE
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) August 3, 2023
The Suns have to hope that 22 game sample size was not an outlier, and instead a peak into what he can be if given more of an opportunity. The catch here however, is that Eubanks is surely going to find those opportunities hard to come by on a stacked roster. It is easier to have breakout moments when you’re playing for a panicked Trail Blazers group.
To make this situation even worse, Christian Wood still remains available, and would surely have joined the Suns on a minimum deal. Not that Wood is the answer to all of their problems. He most certainly is not. But the chances of him making more of an impact on this roster, and perhaps even being a better fit instead of Eubanks, definitely exist. A potential dud come January for the Suns.