Plumdog Millionaire has arrived in Phoenix! The Phoenix Suns acquired Mason Plumlee in a deal (terms were not disclosed). With the addition of the veteran big man, the Suns have upgraded their frontcourt depth for the 2024-25 NBA season. A seasoned player, the 6-foot-10 has helped various teams in his career.
In signing Plumlee, the Suns have decided to let Drew Eubanks go and join the Utah Jazz. Eubanks' lone season at The Valley isn't memorable as the team underachieved. It also didn't help that the big man was inconsistent during most of his time with the team.
Now, a better and more experienced center will step into his role as a backup center for Jusuf Nurkic.
Last season, Plumlee played 46 games for the LA Clippers. He averaged the fewest numbers of his career last season, mainly because he averaged 14.7 minutes of action. But he's proven to be a reliable backup big man throughout his career.
On paper, Plumlee and Eubanks might look like identical players. However, there are differences in how they play and how the newest member of the Suns could help the team.
Plumlee's experience and confidence in his game will play a significant role as a reserve center next season
Plumlee averaged 5.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists for the Clippers. While, Eubanks put up 5.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists. Just based on that, casuals won't be able to pinpoint the differences in how they play. Even their efficiencies from the field look identical to the former shooting 56.9% from the field and the latter putting up 60.1% from the field.
Looking at how they both play, however, Plumlee has a better sense of what to do when he has the ball. The 34-year-old center knows when to give up the ball when given the chance. He has point guard instincts even though he's played the center position for most of his career. His career average of 2.4 assists is already high enough for a reserve big man.
Plumlee is also a better target in the pick-and-roll. The veteran center moves quickly for his size and is comfortable dribbling around his defender for better looks. He handles the ball well for a center and has no fear of getting left on an island, as he knows he can force his way inside.
Similar to Eubanks, he's also a high-energy guy off the bench. The difference between the two is Plumlee is more calculated in his approach. It may look like he doesn't have control over what he's doing, but he's well aware of what the team needs from him.
Defensively, he's quicker than Eubanks and has played against some of the top centers in the league. Plumlee can handle his own down the block and bother shots within the rim.
Mason Plumlee joins another Big 3 with Phoenix Suns https://t.co/9e04jFvYR7
— azcentral (@azcentral) July 9, 2024
The Suns are excited to see what Plumlee can offer next season. But given the fact that he's played with other stars throughout his 10-year career, he could fit well with the team's Big 3.
The former Duke center has also shared his excitement to play for the Suns next season.
"This is a roster I was excited to join. A lot of talent, guys who have won big and guys who are in their prime. That was attractive to me. I’ve had a lot of respect for (coach Mike Budenholzer) Bud’s teams going back to Atlanta and Milwaukee. They’ve always been well-coached and hard wins when you meet them in-season. I’m excited to play for him"Mason Plumlee
The downside of having Plumlee is that he can't provide enough spacing for the stars. His lack of shooting might haunt the team down the stretch, especially in the postseason. But there's faith in the big man that he'll make up for it with his energy and physicality on the defensive end.