The Phoenix Suns received praise for their free-agent signings and were widely panned for their latest blockbuster trade. Yet, an under-the-radar two-way signing could prove to be one of the more important moves of Phoenix’s offseason. We're talking about Pat Spencer.
Suns poised to run back "Point Book" experiment
Although the Suns were able to retain breakout point guard Collin Gillespie on a team-friendly four-year, $48 million deal, they remain thin in the backcourt in terms of true point guards. Unfortunately, that likely means another year of “Point Book,” having Devin Booker take on the bulk of the ball-handling and floor general duties when Gillespie isn’t on the court.
It’s an ongoing experiment in The Valley that hasn’t proved very fruitful. Book is at his best playing off the ball as a true shooting guard and being a constant threat to score. Without a floor general in the mold of former Sun Chris Paul, though, he’s been tasked with running the offense instead. Could a new face step in and push Book back to that 2-guard role more often?
Pat Spencer could prove an important piece for Phoenix
Spencer was added on a two-way contract, allowing him to split time between the pro team and the G League roster, and the depth he provides at a key position will be nice to have.
The Suns got an up-close taste of what Spencer is capable of back on Feb. 5 when he poured in a career-high 20 points in an upset win over Phoenix. Slotting into the starting five to replace the injured Steph Curry, Spencer lit it up from downtown (6-of-10 shooting from deep) to go with six rebounds, four assists, two steals (and four turnovers).
As a 3-point sniper, Spencer, in a lot of ways, functions similarly to Gillespie, his new teammate. Both guys look for their 3-point shot and can be lethal in catch-and-shoot scenarios.
Nonetheless, Spencer averaged 3.5 assists per game against 1.3 turnovers per game in 66 games (14 starts) for the Golden State Warriors last season.
The vast majority of Spencer’s turnovers with Golden State were the result of bad passes (58) versus simply coughing up the ball (22 lost ball turnovers). On the bright side, that’s a coachable area for the Suns’ staff that could improve just by proxy of being surrounded by Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams — a veritable smorgasbord of offensive threats to target.
The 30-year-old Spencer doesn’t have a ton of NBA experience despite his age, but having another option who can shift Booker off the ball is sure to be a net positive for Phoenix.
Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green called Spencer a “great teammate” and praised his competitiveness and basketball IQ, as noted by the San Francisco Chronicle's Ron Kroichick (Subscription required), which all suggests he’ll be another great culture fit with what Jordan Ott has been building in The Valley.
As it stands, Spencer is a depth piece lower down the depth chart. But don’t be surprised if Spencer is thrust into a bigger role via injuries or a desire to lessen ball-handling duties on Book’s plate throughout the upcoming regular season.
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