4 Questions the Phoenix Suns Need Answered During the Preseason
It's preseason time for the Phoenix Suns, which means that head coach Jeff Hornacek has the next couple of weeks to play with various lineups and address some of his questions about the roster.
Though winning in the preseason is not always associated with regular-season success, the games are important nevertheless. This is the first opportunity for fans, as well as the front office, to see the players in action under the spotlight.
The Suns also currently have 19 players on the roster, a number that will have to be cut down to 15 by the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. However, with 15 players already making guaranteed money in the 2014-15 season, you can bet that the other four are out of luck. In some seasons there are battles for roster spots, but this year it's all about fighting for minutes and increased roles.
Here are some of the questions that should be answered over the next several games.
Who Will Start at Power Forward?
1 of 4
Markieff Morris. Who else, right?
That opinion is not without reason. With Channing Frye gone, Markieff appears to be the next best power forward on the team, and in his fourth NBA season he seems ready to make the leap into a starting role.
Last season he shot a career-high 49 percent from the field and averaged 18.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per 36 minutes. He established himself as a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year.
Plus, now that the Suns have signed him to a four-year, $32 million extension, it wouldn't make sense to bench him. You don't spend that much on a bench player.
And yet, there's a challenger for the starting spot: Anthony Tolliver.
Tolliver is not nearly as versatile as Markieff is, but he can shoot about as well as Frye did. And ultimately, the Suns may choose to start Tolliver just because of the offensive spacing he can provide. That doesn't mean he'll play more minutes than Markieff, which he shouldn't.
Here's what Hornacek had to say about Tolliver following the Suns' game against the Denver Nuggets, which they won 97-89:
"The first group with Anthony (Tolliver) moved the ball a little bit quicker...Anthony keeps it spread out. So, we'll continue to play with it and see what works best.
When Eric or Goran are coming off and (Tolliver's) spacing and you have a big guy down low, teams have to make decisions at what they're going to do. Are they going to give up a shot, or a lay-up. Our twos and threes are very good at getting to the basket, so it will make it tough on teams.
"
Against the Nuggets, Tolliver scored 10 points in 18 minutes and made three three-pointers. Watch him closely for the rest of the preseason.
Who Will Step Up with Alex Len Out?
2 of 4
In case you haven't heard, Alex Len is out indefinitely with a right pinky fracture. He still has a few weeks to recover before the season starts, but he may miss at least a few games.
The Suns were already thin in the frontcourt, and now they are left with only two centers who are on guaranteed contracts: Miles Plumlee and Shavlik Randolph.
If Len continues to suffer through injuries throughout the year, it will be interesting to see if the 30-year-old Randolph can step up and earn a spot in the rotation.
He has already impressed some fans in the preseason. During the Suns' open scrimmage, Randolph outplayed starting center Miles Plumlee, putting up 13 points and nine rebounds. He also shot 2-of-2 from three-point range, which is especially impressive for a player who has made one three in seven NBA seasons.
And against Flamengo on October 8, Randolph scored four points and grabbed five rebounds in 14 minutes of action. Again, he was able to make a mid-range jump shot and showcase his new range.
Those numbers aren't phenomenal, but it's no secret that Len has been a disappointment thus far in his career. If Randolph is playing well and the Suns are focused on making the playoffs, he will take Len's minutes.
Who Starts at Small Forward for the First Three Games?
3 of 4
Remember that P.J. Tucker, the team's starting small forward, was suspended for the first three games of the season due to a DUI charge.
That means that someone is going to take his spot at the beginning of the season. And there are several good candidates for the position.
Let's start with Marcus Morris. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds off the bench last year and shot a career-high 38 percent from deep. Hornacek opted to start him against Flamengo, and in 24 minutes of action he contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
If Markieff is starting, then perhaps going with Marcus is the best option. Though the "twin chemistry" effect is often overstated, the two legitimately play better together. They seem more relaxed and comfortable on the court. That also means that if Tolliver starts at PF, someone else should start at SF.
In that case, perhaps the Suns should go with Gerald Green, who at 6'8" is not undersized for the position even though he is a natural shooting guard. In two preseason games, Green has scored 24 points in 31 minutes on 9-of-16 shooting. It is well-known that he has no problem scoring.
The final candidate is rookie T.J. Warren, who after barely playing against Flamengo had a fantastic game against the Nuggets. He only played 13 minutes yet posted 10 points and six rebounds (three on the offensive glass). He also made two threes, despite having been criticized for his shot form.
No matter who the Suns go with, they will have no issue scoring. Marcus, Green and Warren are all volume scorers. But unfortunately, none of them is able to replicate the lockdown defense that Tucker provides.
How Will the Backcourt Minutes Be Distributed?
4 of 4
At this point, it's no question that Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic will start, while Isaiah Thomas will be the first man off the bench. The Bledsoe/Dragic combo worked so well last season that Phoenix may as well keep it going.
However, how many minutes is everyone going to play?
It's unlikely that Dragic and Bledsoe come close to averaging 36 minutes per game again, since Thomas was brought in to take pressure off the starters. Most likely, both starters will play approximately 30 minutes per game, with Thomas and Green each getting somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes as the first two players off the bench. Exactly how the minutes distribution will play out cannot be determined at this point.
And where does all that leave Archie Goodwin, Zoran Dragic and Tyler Ennis?
With four established players in the backcourt, the Suns may only have a few minutes to allot to those prospects. And as a result, one of the more interesting preseason battles to watch will be seeing if one of the prospects stands out in limited minutes.
In all likelihood, there will only be room for one of them to take up a spot in the rotation. The other two may keep the bench warm or even be demoted to the D-League for the sake of their development.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
