Here are our player scouting reports and analysis for the Phoenix Suns.
Projected starters
Brandon Knight
Position: Guard
Experience: 4 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Attacking guard who excels in pick-and-roll
+ Good catch-and-shoot threat from beyond the arc
+ Missed 17 of 28 games with ankle injury after being traded to Phoenix
Analysis
Knight's 2014-15 season started with a bang, as he performed at a fringe All-Star level in Milwaukee, powering the Bucks' hot start. The combination of a career season with his impending restricted free-agent status led the Bucks to sell high at the trade deadline, and with Phoenix creating a huge void in its backcourt by dealing Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas, the Suns pounced on the opportunity to add the 23-year-old to the fold. Knight's Suns stint was marred by a left ankle injury that eventually required surgery, and while his performance was inconsistent, that didn't make the Suns shy away from sewing him up with a five-year, $70 million deal in the offseason, the same amount received by Eric Bledsoe a season ago.
Like Bledsoe, Knight is a high-usage player who enjoys having the ball in his hands and attacking out of pick-and-roll and isolation. That's where the similarities end, however, as Knight is a far superior shooter, out of both catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble scenarios, which makes him a natural complement to Bledsoe. He's not quite the finisher Dragic or Thomas are, but the playing time divide will be more naturally shared among a pair rather than the muddled trio of point guards with which Phoenix began last season. Defensively, Knight has struggled, although having newly acquired Tyson Chandler in the paint will ease some of the pressure on Knight to perform at that end of the floor.
Eric Bledsoe
Position: Guard
Experience: 5 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Dynamic, elite athlete with strong frame and decent vision
+ Good finisher through contact and lockdown, physical defender
+ Inconsistent perimeter shooter
Analysis
The Suns entered September last season embroiled in a contract dispute with Bledsoe, who had failed to secure an offer during restricted free agency. The matter was resolved before camp, when the Suns entered with three ball-dominant, starting-caliber point guards fighting for both minutes and touches. Eventually they jettisoned Dragic and Thomas at the trade deadline.
Despite the presence of the other two guards, Bledsoe's overall stat line remained steady when compared between the pre- and post-trade, with the expected uptick in usage and slight decrease in efficiency. The 2014-15 season saw Bledsoe finally break the 2,000-minute plateau as he matched his career high in games played and showed no ill effects of the knee injury that sidelined him for almost half of the 2013-14 season.
Bledsoe remains a player whose best moments occur barreling to the basket, where he can get to the basket and finish or set up teammates around the basket area, particularly with over-the-top lobs to over-the-top athletes, which will no doubt come into play with Chandler this season. Bledsoe's perimeter shooting remains spotty, confirming that while he isn't going to be confused for Kyle Korver anytime soon, he still commands enough respect from defenders. With Phoenix's backcourt a lot less crowded and the food chain a lot more defined this season, Bledsoe has the opportunity to stake a claim among the upper echelon of point guards in the league as one of the all-round talents.
P.J. Tucker
Position: Forward
Experience: 4 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Tough-nosed, physical defensive presence
+ Excellent rebounder as a wing
+ Consistent threat from the corner
Analysis
One of the Suns' most consistent performers over the last few seasons, Tucker provides a dependable diet of production: physical on-ball defense, active rebounding and a decent catch-and-shoot 3-point threat. While his 3-point shot selection has expanded beyond the corners, the efficiency above the break still lags considerably behind the shorter corner. Phoenix got great looks with Tucker playing the 4 in small-ball lineups, where his physicality and rebounding allow him to moonlight as a power forward. In fact, at this stage of his career, Tucker is more suited to defend against bigs rather than more agile perimeter players, while his shooting creates the needed spacing to draw his defender away from the paint. Tucker, 30, will likely see more minutes at the 4, especially when considering the ascent of second-year player T.J. Warren and rookie Devin Booker.
Markieff Morris
Position: Forward
Experience: 4 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Physical power forward with good shooting touch and face-up game
+ Tendency to take tough shots out of back to the basket sets
+ Aggressive defender who can get in foul trouble
Analysis
The annual tradition of Suns offseason drama made its rounds thanks to the Morris household when Phoenix jettisoned Marcus Morris in a cap-clearing deal aimed to create the flexibility necessary to offer LaMarcus Aldridge a max offer. Of course, Aldridge decided to take his talents to the Riverwalk in San Antonio, leaving Phoenix with two Markieff Morris-centric issues: the trade of his twin and the attempt to replace him at the starting power forward slot. The twins have been vocal over the summer in their displeasure with Suns management, whom they feel misled them last offseason during negotiations of their contract extensions to apparent discounted rates (it can be argued that Markieff was the only one who actually received a discount over market value).
While Markieff has vowed to report to camp, how he'll play without his twin remains to be seen. Even without the stress of almost being replaced, he traditionally has not played well when his brother isn't on the floor with him, as detailed by ESPN Insider Tom Haberstroh and most of that discrepancy can be explained by shifting behavior in the different lineups.
Simply put, Markieff doesn't shoot as well when Marcus isn't on the floor because he doesn't take the same quality of shots, and that quality isn't dictated by some Steve Nash-esque creativity by Marcus, but rather by Markieff being more willing to move to space and minimize ball manipulation when his brother is on the floor. When Marcus is off the floor, Markieff is more likely to become stagnant, running to the block and demanding the ball before holding and either posting up deliberately or facing up.
While he excelled in the midrange, Markieff's range still struggles to find consistency beyond about 20 feet, and he's a below average rebounder on both ends of the floor. However, the presence of Chandler should at least alleviate the rebounding concern, as well as provide a defensive subsidy for him, but that doesn't change the fact that Markieff will likely be on the trading block at some time this year, where he should fetch considerable interest given his cap friendly contract.
Tyson Chandler
Position: Center
Experience: 14 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ High-end defensive anchor, rim protector, rebounder
+ Excellent finisher around the rim, particularly in pick-and-rolls
+ High character locker room influencer
Analysis
Chandler represents the biggest free-agent acquisition for the Suns since Dragic in 2012, and the 32-year-old fulfills multiple immediate needs for the team. For a defense that languished in the bottom half of league rankings last season, Chandler provides a real anchor as one of the game's highest-IQ team defenders, playing the backline of the defense and vocally communicating to teammates where the help is coming.
While he's not the shot-blocker he was in his younger days, Chandler exemplifies the truest form of defense: deterring opponents from even attempting shots in his vicinity. He's a voracious rebounder on both ends, inhaling well over a quarter of opponent misses when he's on the floor and almost 15 percent on the offensive end.
Offensively, he's a devoted screen-setter and releases out of the pick-and-roll with purpose, bringing with him a vacuum-like effect that forces defenses to contract to avoid giving up the over-the-top lob, opening opportunities along the perimeter for shooters.
That said, Chandler probably is on the downward trend of his career, and while he's still very effective and a major upgrade for Phoenix, his value will be largely augmented by the intangibles he brings to the table. He's one of the renowned "culture-setters" in the league, as a player known to hold teammates accountable and police the locker room.
As a 14-year vet, championship winner and former defensive player of the year, Chandler's voice brings with it credibility and respect, and the hope in Phoenix is he'll straighten out some of the issues that bedeviled the franchise, particularly toward the end of the season as things began to unravel.
Reserves
Alex Len
Position: Center
Experience: 2 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Active big man with soft touch on jump shot
+ Good rebounder and excellent shot-blocker
+ Missed 13 games with a variety of injuries
Analysis
Len made a big leap in his second season, supplanting Miles Plumlee as starting center about a month into the season. His defensive activity and length were a boon, and while he wasn't the rebounder Plumlee was, he performed well in that facet. Offensively, Len was an excellent finisher around the rim, but the feathery jump shot has yet to translate to efficient shooting away from the basket, with much of the shortfall explained by poor shot selection.
In some respects, his maturation from Year 1 to Year 2 makes it a little surprising the Suns pursued Tyson Chandler in the offseason, as the hope was Len would continue to grow as a starting center. It remains to be seen whether the addition of Chandler will be a benefit (as a veteran teacher) or a hindrance (as someone who takes away time and confidence).
Mirza Teletovic
Position: Forward
Experience: 3 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Stretch big who can space the floor with 3-point shooting
+ Good post-up player against the switch
+ Missed 42 games with blood clots in lungs
Analysis
A health scare can put life into perspective, so for Teletovic, a one-year deal for the equivalent of the midlevel exception comes as a blessing, not a disappointment. With no further ill effects expected after missing more than half the 2014-15 season with blood clots in this lungs, he hopes to provide the Suns' front court with the stretch big spacing they sorely missed with the departure of Channing Frye last season. Teletovic connected on 39 percent of his 3-point attempts in 2013-14, probably more indicative of his shooting prowess than last season's regression to 32 percent. He's also surprisingly effective as a post-up player when switched onto by a smaller defender, a common defensive tactic against pick-and-pop plays. Defensively, he struggles laterally and doesn't have the strength to keep bigger, more athletic players from getting where they want to go. However, he knows what his role is, and that's what you pay him for: shooting the ball.
T.J. Warren
Position: Forward
Experience: 1 year
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Offensively gifted wing with elite size; excellent in-between game and can make a wide array of shots from 17 feet in
+ Struggles shooting beyond midrange area
+ Lazy defender who likes to reach and gamble; active hands if near ball
Analysis
Warren came as advertised last year as a player with a knack for putting the ball in the hoop, but few dimensions outside of that. He dominated in stints down in the D-League, averaging almost 27 points per game, and he performed well with playing time boosts towards the end of the season, finishing at an extremely high rate around the basket.
His 3-point shooting was still abysmal, as it was in the D-League, so it's not a question of opportunity; Warren has a funky grip and release of the ball, which likely makes it difficult for him to consistently deliver with his current form. With the offseason departures of Gerald Green and Marcus Morris, expect Warren to become a mainstay in the rotation and leaned upon for his scoring prowess.
Devin Booker
Position: Guard
Experience: Rookie
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Pure shooter with excellent size
+ Tremendous athlete who is still physically growing
+ Doesn't turn 19 until Oct. 30
Analysis
Like other members of Kentucky's Final Four team, Booker was asked to sacrifice his own personal game for the betterment of the team, so judging him off his stat line from his lone season in Lexington can be misleading. Still, he comes to Phoenix as mostly a work in progress, but his ability to connect from long range is NBA-ready and might earn him a spot in the rotation sooner rather than later.
Archie Goodwin
Position: Guard
Experience: 2 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Athletic guard/wing with explosive first step; excels at getting to the line
+ Slowly improving perimeter shooter
+ Thirty DNP-CDs last season
Analysis
Undoubtedly this is a make-or-break year for Goodwin, who has sat behind more experienced teammates for two seasons but struggled to crack the rotation. At this stage of his career, it seems clear that any combo guard aspirations on draft day 2013 seem to have been misplaced, as Goodwin is clearly a scorer first, second and third. He's got the quickness and handles to get anywhere he wants on the floor, and he is terrific at creating contact and getting to the free throw line, but he has some inconsistency finishing at the rim. He's still not good enough as a perimeter shooter, but he's made strides in that department. Goodwin was dominant in the D-League, including at the Showcase, where he impressed a good deal of other NBA team execs en route to being named Showcase MVP. If he can't get consistent minutes as a third guard, look for trade rumors to heat up.
Ronnie Price
Position: Guard
Experience: 10 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Tough athletic journeyman guard
+ Good defensive player, energy guy
+ Struggles shooting the ball
Analysis
Price is the consummate pro who won't rock the boat when he's not playing, while remaining ready when called upon. He's a tough-as-nails defensive player who plays physically and brings tremendous energy to the court. Shooting, scoring, playmaking -- none of these are strengths, but he's a good vet to have around as a third-string point guard.
Sonny Weems
Position: Guard
Experience: 3 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Rugged, physical wing player who gets to the front of the rim and finishes well in the paint
+ Improved perimeter shooter and ball handler
+ After first three seasons in NBA, spent past four seasons playing in Europe
Analysis
It's a footnote in history now, but Weems was one of the earliest cases of players to give up on the then-locked-out NBA in favor of guaranteed money in Europe, signing in Lithuania with Zalgris before moving onto Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow, where he was All-Euroleague First Team in 2014. His game has changed since he was last in the league. His shooting has improved, and he's a much better ball handler and creator off the dribble in pick-and-rolls than he was when we last saw him, but he'll have to adjust to not having the ball in his hands as much as he did in Europe, where he was a featured option.
Jon Leuer
Position: Forward
Experience: 4 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Skilled finesse big
+ Good shooter, but doesn't often translate to the floor
+ Good defensive rebounder
Analysis
Bear this in mind: If Leuer could consistently shoot the 3, he'd probably still be in Memphis, as the Grizzlies have their own spacing issues to be mindful of. As it is, he's a card-carrying member of the Stretch Bigs Who Don't Actually Shoot All That Well Club (along with Pero Antic and Darrell Arthur), but the hope is he can find his 2013-14 stroke in a more freewheeling offense with high possession counts. Beyond shooting the ball, Leuer is a smart player and playmaker from the elbows, in the same mold as many bigs who emerge from the Wisconsin program.