Phoenix Suns Report Card: Who's Hot, Who's Not at the Start of 2011
The Phoenix Suns entered 2011 under .500 and on a cold streak, having lost four out of their last five games with the lone win being over the lowly Detroit Pistons on New Year's Eve. The Suns have been up and down all year and have yet to hit their stride.
Regardless of the team's overall struggles, some individuals have played better than others. Read on to find out which players are hot and which are not.
Steve Nash: Hot
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Steve Nash is the Suns best player and is the cog that moves the machine that is the Phoenix Suns. Everything goes through him. He is averaging 17 points and 10.5 assists per game so far and has been the Suns most consistent player.
Going into 2011, Nash is getting a player named Vince Carter to step into the role that Jason Richardson once held. Carter should help Nash because since the huge trade with Orlando, Nash has been the number one scoring option with Carter hurt.
Expect Nash to pick up his game even more heading into 2011.
Josh Childress: Not
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Josh Childress had four DNPs and only five games in which he played more than 10 minutes. He has found himself at the end of Alvin Gentry's bench and seemingly can't move up in the rotation with wings like Jared Dudley, Mickael Pietrus and Grant Hill ahead of him.
He worst thing is his four DNPs have come in the last eight games, with Mickael Pietrus getting the bulk of those minutes. I can't see Childress getting more time with Pietrus playing well and Vince Carter coming in the fold, unless an injury occurs.
2011 does not look very promising for Childress.
VInce Carter: Hot
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Vince Carter has only played two games as a member of the Phoenix Suns and has performed well in those games. He is averaging 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and two three-pointers per game. If he can keep that up then he will easily be the No. 1 scoring option for the Suns entering 2011.
Expect Carter to have a solid start to 2011 while he is the featured option in Phoenix. If he plays well throughout the season and playoffs, if the Suns turn things around and make them, then expect his services to be in demand this offseason.
Channing Frye: Not
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Channing Frye is a solid player but has played inconsistently all year and the Suns suffer when he plays bad. He is such a big part of what the Suns are and the team needs him to be consistent to win. He allows the floor to be spread out, which lets Nash work his magic.
When he scores over 15 points in a game, the Suns are 6-1 but when he scores under 10 points in a game, they are 5-7. He needs to increase his rebounds by one or two a game (he is currently at 6.0 rebound per game) and needs to be consistent with his scoring, around 12 to 15 points a night would be nice. If he could do that then 2011 could be kind to him but if he can't then 2011 will be bittersweet.
Mickael Pietrus: Hot
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Mickael Pietrus has only played four games with the Suns but has played very well. He is averaging 13.5 points, 2.25 rebounds, .5 assists, and 2.5 three pointers a game as a member of the Phoenix Suns. He has only started one game which means that he is producing solidly off the bench, mainly.
He should give the Suns a solid scoring option and a good defensive player off the bench and if he keeps up his play might even be inserted into the starting lineup more often. I expect 2011 to be kind to Pietrus and if he keeps playing well then he should be in demand this offseason when he is a free agent.
Hakim Warrick: Not
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Ultra-athletic power forward Hakim Warrick has had a solid season until recently, when he has fallen to the back of head coach Alvin Gentry's bench. In November, he scored in double-figures nine times compared to four times in December. His minutes have fallen and is only playing 7.5 minutes per game in the last four games.
He has the skills to flourish in the Suns system and I expect him to bounce back in 2011. He should be able to get around 12-15 minutes a game and if he can scoring and rebound consistently then he will be just fine. 2011 could either be promising or terrible for Warrick, I think the former.
Grant Hill: Hot
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Grant Hill has been the Suns second most consistent player, behind Nash, all season. He is averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and .81 steals per game. The biggest testament to him is that he is the third or fourth scoring option on the court, he is averaging almost 15 points a game while being a lower option. Imagine if he was the first or second option, he could be averaging 20 points a game.
He should continue to be a solid option for the Suns heading into 2011. I expect him to continue his current pace and be very instrumental to the Suns. 2011 should be good to Grant Hill.
Gani Lawal: Not
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Gani Lawal was drafted as the 46th overall draft pick of the 2010 NBA Draft and until the recent game against the Detroit Pistons, had not played in a regular season game with the Phoenix Suns. He played only two minutes and his only statistic he racked up was a personal foul.
The team is high on his abilities but right now doesn't have the need for him to play minutes. He will probably be the last man on the bench for the rest of the season. 2011 should give him the opportunity to hone his skills in practice, but really nothing more.
Jared Dudley: Hot
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Jared Dudley is one of the best players off the Phoenix Suns bench and showed so when he scored 27 points and 33 points in back to back games against the Spurs and Heat. He is shooting 39 percent from deep and should continue to be a solid scoring option and a good defender off the bench for the Suns. He averages 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and one steal a game for the Suns.
He has scored in every game except one, which for a bench player is very good. I expect 2011 to be very similar to how 2010 was for Dudley, very solid.
Garret Siler: Not
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Garret Siler is the very big man at the far right of this picture and he really hasn't had a chance to play this season. He has been one of the last two men on the bench all season and that shouldn't change heading into 2011. I don't think he will get more than a minute or two in a game unless it is a blowout or an injury occurs.
Marcin Gortat: Hot
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Marcin Gortat was a big part of the deal with the Magic and has only played four games with the Suns. He is averaging eight points, 5.75 rebounds, two assists and .75 blocks per game. He isn't starting which makes his production even more important. If he could up his game with more rebounds, he could help the Suns drastically.
Since he is already showing his skills as a big, I expect his stats to either stay as they are now or rise across the board. It should be the latter because he is getting lots of minutes to show he can play and I don't see his minutes going down in 2011.
2011 will be very good to Gortat and he should give the Suns the big they have needed for quite a while now.
Robin Lopez: Not
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Robin Lopez was the lone center on the Suns roster that played solid minutes night in and night out, until Marcin Gortat cam to town. In the four games Gortat has played in, Robin's minutes have gone down drastically. In the last three games he hasn't eclipsed 13 minutes and all those minutes have gone to Gortat.
Before Gortat came, he was easily the Suns best interior defender but the way his minutes have been recently doesn't look good. I expect Gortat to take over the starting job in 2011 and Lopez to be demoted to the second team.
On the positive side for Lopez, as a bench player he should be able to go harder now that Phoenix has another solid low post player. 2011 should still be good to Lopez but it certainly won't be as good as 2010 was.
Goran Dragic: Hot
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Goran Dragic has developed into one of the best back-up point guards in the NBA and gives the Suns one of the best point guard combos with Steve Nash.
He is averaging 7.8 points, 3.5 assists, two rebounds and .7 steals per game this year. He has given the Suns the opportunity to rest aging starter Steve Nash and he has provided a spark off the bench.
He is one of the best players off the Suns bench and that should continue throughout 2011. I expect his minutes to increase as the year goes on and he should be given the opportunity to show his skills even more. 2011 will help define how Dragic's career goes while he learns under wizard Steve Nash.
