The Phoenix Suns took the chance to acquire two key rotation pieces during the NBA trade deadline. Although the Suns had to give up a few decent players, adding David Roddy and Royce O'Neale, two versatile wings, could play a significant role in the team's quest to contend for a title.
Phoenix parted ways with Chimezie Metu, Yuta Watanabe, Keita Bates-Diop, Jordan Goodwin, and three future second-round picks to get Roddy and O'Neale.
Brooklyn is finalizing a trade sending Royce O’Neale to Phoenix for salaries and three second-round picks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/sSSXacDYVz
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 8, 2024
In their previous game against the Golden State Warriors, fans saw O'Neale play for the first time, but he wasn't very productive since it was only his first game for the team. The 6-foot-6 forward only had three points and four rebounds in 11 minutes.
However, many expect him to find his rhythm in the second half of the season. On the other hand, Roddy suited up for the first time for the Suns but registered a DNP.
Before they traded for the two forwards, the Suns had plenty of games where the team's defense was exposed by opposing teams. The team is 15the in defense and could use a bit of improvement in that regard. Adding two scrappy guys could help them improve their 2023-24 campaign.
The two additions could take time to adjust to the new system.
Learning a new system has never been easy for any player, even for All-Stars. Looking at how the Suns started the season, most players had difficulty adapting to head coach Frank Vogel's offensive sets. The beginning was sluggish as the players learned how to execute their offense.
Even until now, the team has struggled mightily and often commits a generous amount of mistakes. For this reason alone, fans shouldn't pressure the new guys to adapt to the system quickly. It will take time until everyone on the team knows how to play together smoothly.
However, that doesn't mean fans shouldn't set expectations for Roddy and O'Neale. The front office traded for them for a reason, which is to help the Suns in their playoff journey. Therefore, here are three expectations fans should have for the new guys on the team: