If you’re a long-time fan of the Phoenix Suns, you’re aware that their scouting department in recent decades hasn’t been super impressive.
We covered this in Part 1 and Part 2 of our Suns re-draft experiment, so get caught up there if you haven’t done so already (viewer discretion advised).
Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Suns’ war room. They’ve had some big hits on draft picks since the turn of the century — namely, Devin Booker and former Rookie of the Year winner Amar’e Stoudemire.
But what are the best rookie seasons in Suns history?
Does Booker make the cut?
Where does Stoudemire’s ROY campaign rank?
Since All-Rookie honors were introduced in the 1960s, the Suns have had 16 first-year players make the All-Rookie First or Second Team. Earning that honor is a good indicator of a solid rookie season, but we’ll also take note of each player’s individual stats for the season in question as well as the win shares they contributed to help hone in on which seasons were truly the best.
We'll start with honorable mentions in no particular order:
Honorable Mentions for Suns rookies
Devin Booker: 13.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.6 steals, 42.3% shooting, 34.3% 3-point shooting, 1.9 win shares, -2.8 box plus/minus, All-Rookie First Team, No. 4 in Rookie of the Year voting
It was a tale of two halves from Booker’s rookie season. He really didn’t hit the gas pedal until after the All-Star break when he averaged 19.2 points, 4.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds per contest. His shooting efficiency in that time left much to be desired, but he started to show what he’d become in the closing months of his rookie year after a relatively tepid start.
Armen Gilliam: 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 47.5% shooting, 1.3 win shares, -3.4 box plus/minus, All-Rookie First Team
Gilliam’s per-game stats painted a rosier picture than his advanced metrics, but he did make the All-Rookie First Team while starting 53 of his 55 games played.
Ron Lee: 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 steals, 44.1% shooting, 2.8 win shares, 0.8 box plus/minus, All-Rookie First Team
Point guard Ron Lee played in all 82 games during his rookie campaign after being drafted No. 10 overall in the 1976 NBA draft. Like Booker, Lee’s numbers improved post-All-Star break. In six games played in April to end the year, Lee averaged 15.8 points, 5.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game, contributing in a variety of areas.
Shawn Marion: 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 blocks, 47.1% shooting, 18.2% 3-point shooting, 4.1 win shares, 1.3 box plus/minus, All-Rookie Second Team
“The Matrix” used his elite athletic ability to make an impact right away for the Suns. While his 3-point shooting had a long way to go, he contributed to winning in a variety of categories to best the other honorable mention rookies in terms of win shares during his foray into professional basketball.
Richard Dumas: 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 52.4% shooting, 33.3% 3-point shooting, 3.9 win shares, 1.5 box plus/minus, All-Rookie Second Team
Richard Dumas missed what would have been his rookie season in 1991-92 because he was suspended by the NBA for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. When he was cleared to return, Dumas instantly became a key contributor to the 1992-93 Suns team that won 62 games and eventually reached the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, substance abuse issues derailed his NBA career from there.
Wesley Person: 10.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, 48.4% shooting, 43.6% 3-point shooting, 3.8 win shares, 0.0 box plus/minus, All-Rookie Second Team
Wesley Person hit the ground running as a rookie in the NBA by cashing a sterling 43.6% of his shots from beyond the arc. That efficient shooting in part earned him All-Rookie Second Team honors.
5. Michael Finley, 1995-96
Résumé: 15 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 47.6% shooting, 32.8% 3-point shooting, 6.3 win shares, -0.2 box plus/minus, All-Rookie First Team (tied with Arvydas Sabonis), No. 4 in Rookie of the Year voting
Michael Finley, the 21st overall pick of the 1995 NBA draft, put together a great rookie season for the Suns. His 6.3 win shares as a rookie is the third-best in Suns franchise history.
Perhaps getting to play one-on-one against Michael Jordan as a high schooler set Finley up for success once he made it to the pros. He was ultimately shipped off to the Dallas Mavericks in a trade package for Jason Kidd during his sophomore campaign.
4. Deandre Ayton, 2018-19
Résumé: 16.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks, 58.5% shooting, 5.8 win shares, 0.2 box plus/minus, All-Rookie First Team, No. 3 in Rookie of the Year voting
While it’s fair to say the Suns should have selected Slovenian star Luka Doncic with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft, Deandre Ayton wasn’t a slouch as a rookie even though his time in Phoenix was largely frustrating for fans who expected more relative to expectations.
Ayton averaged a double-double in his first year as a pro and finished third in ROY voting behind the aforementioned Doncic and sharpshooting Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young.
3. Amar'e Stoudemire, 2002-03
Résumé: 13.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.1 blocks, 47.2% shooting, 20% 3-point shooting, 6.2 win shares, -1.4 box plus/minus, All-Rookie First Team, Rookie of the Year Award
“STAT” made his presence felt straight away on the Suns after being drafted out of Cypress Creek High School in Orlando, Florida.
Stoudemire’s stats may not be as impressive compared to Ayton in a vacuum, but his Rookie of the Year win props up his standing. For the sake of argument, it's also worth noting STAT's Suns battled to a 44-38 record during his rookie year — an eight-win improvement from the season prior — and made the playoffs. DA's Suns finished with just 19 wins. That's the worst mark in franchise history and two fewer wins than the season prior without Ayton on the roster. So, there's an "empty stats" argument to be made there.
We also must consider the other rookie Stoudemire beat out for ROY: Houston Rockets towering center and future Hall of Famer Yao Ming. Of course, there’s a case to be made that Yao should have won the award over Stoudemire. His 8.7 win shares were significantly more than Stoudemire’s, he was more efficient as a field goal, 3-point and free throw shooter, averaged more blocks and more assists while matching STAT’s 13.5 points per game.
Maybe the voters got that one wrong, but Yao's Rockets didn't make the playoffs while the Suns did. It remains impressive what Stoudemire was able to accomplish in the league as a 20-year-old fresh out of high school.
2. Alvan Adams, 1975-76
Résumé: 19 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks, 46.9% shooting, 7.2 win shares, 4.4 box plus/minus, All-Rookie First Team, Rookie of the Year Award, All-Star
Alvan Adams is among a unique group of NBA players who peaked during their rookie campaign (his future teammate who comes in at No. 1 on this list joins him in that camp).
“Double A” not only won Rookie of the Year, he made his first (and only) All-Star team as a rookie and helped guide the Suns to their first ever NBA Finals appearance.
His passing and unselfishness stood out throughout his NBA career, as he averaged more than five assists per game over 13 seasons despite being a 6-foot-9 center.
All-Star, Rookie of the Year, NBA Finals appearance … not too shabby, rook.
1. Walter Davis, 1977-78
Résumé: 24.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 52.6% shooting, 10.1 win shares, 3.3 box plus/minus, All-Rookie First Team, Rookie of the Year Award, All-Star, All-NBA Second Team, No. 5 in MVP voting
Speaking of guys who peaked as rookies, Hall of Famer Walter Davis — who won Rookie of the Year for the Suns two seasons after Adams won it — fits that bill as well.
Like Adams, “Sweet D” also earned an All-Star selection as a rookie but he upped the ante by being named to All-NBA Second Team and finishing fifth in MVP voting as well.
His points per game, rebounds per game and win share marks were all career bests, despite Davis playing 14 seasons beyond his rookie year.
It’s one of the more impressive rookie campaigns in league history, much less Suns history.