National Basketball Association

Phoenix Suns: Rookie Update; Len Struggles; High-Five Watch 2016

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:42 p.m. ET

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Sep 26, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dragan Bender (left), guard Tyler Ulis (center) and forward Marquese Chriss pose for a portrait during media day at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix Suns split their first two preseason games, both against depleted teams.

Whether the opponent was resting multiple regulars (San Antonio Spurs), or dealing with multiple injuries (Utah Jazz), the results have been mixed at best for the Suns. Here are some take-away’s.

Alex Len Looks Lost

For a player on the verge of a contract extension, in an age when donating a star’s entire NBA contract might actually make a dent on the national deficit, the Suns are going to have to make a decision on whether or not Alex Len is the center of the future very soon.

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Unfortunately, through two preseason games, despite neither being against an elite center, Len has continued to let the Suns down on both ends of the court.

Following a paltry 5 point and 4 rebound game against San Antonio in the preseason opener, Len managed just 4 points and 5 rebounds against the Jazz. His Utah counterpart, Rudy Gobert, finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Alex Len may yet have a bright future ahead of him. When the games start counting and the Suns’ new offensive and defensive systems start to flow, he may turn out double-doubles at a rate expected of 7’2” center with his athleticism and length.

If his preseason woes do continue into the regular season, he will find himself on the trading block. By Christmas, if he still cannot consistently find the basket on offense, or stop the opponent holding the ball, then his rookie contract with the Suns will be his final with the Suns.

Oct 5, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Tyler Ulis (8) handles the ball in the second half of the game against the Utah Jazz at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Utah Jazz defeated the Phoenix Suns 104-99. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix Suns’ youth movement is centered around three pieces: Marquese Chriss, Tyler Ulis, and Dragan Bender. Let’s break each down.

Marquese Chriss

Marquese Chriss had noted foul problems in college, and they will undoubtedly follow him into the NBA. An 11 point and 7 rebound performance in just 24 minutes against Utah is a very positive sign for the 19 year old. But fouling out and committing 3 turnovers in that same span is not going to impress upon the Earl Watson-led coaching staff that he should be awarded extended opportunities in the regular season.

Chriss’ style undoubtedly presents itself as the type of game that will evolve quickest of the young CUBs. And as he is still a teenager, all negatives must be viewed through that prism. His athleticism, however, is still something to behold as exampled by his fantastic slam dunk off a slash and dish from Devin Booker early in the third quarter.

Tyler Ulis

Tyler Ulis received extended second half minutes for the second straight preseason game.

Making little offensive impact until the final minutes of regulation, Ulis showed the microwave side of his game as he scored the Suns’ final ten points beginning with 1:50 remaining.

Finishing with a 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 personal foul, it was an overall positive showing by the rookie point guard, and a step in the right direction as the Suns inch closer to the regular season.

Dragan Bender

Dragan Bender again struggled to find any consistency, although he was visibly more active, noting after the game that he wants to “be the energy guy on the floor that helps in every aspect of the game.” However, his poor shooting remains to be his greatest weakness as he finished 0-4 from beyond the arc, for a total of 3-11 in two games from the field.

His lack of confidence offensively was shown most explicitly with about four and a half minutes left in the first quarter.

Dribbling at the top of the three point line, he had Booker open at the right angle waiting for the ball. Rather than a sharp, quick pass, Bender loosely took two dribbles in the direction of Booker telegraphing his intention, and as he attempted a short handoff, George Hill reached out and poked the ball away for his second steal, leading to a fastbreak dunk by Gordon Hayward.

Like Chriss, all mistakes must be viewed through the prism of his age. However, if he shows no significant offensive improvement this season heading into next, there will be fear from fans that his game will suffer through a long uphill climb.

Oct 3, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns assistant coach Nate Bjorkgren (left) talks with head coach Earl Watson during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns won 91-86. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

High-Five Watch

As reported by Cody Cunningham on suns.com, the coaching staff is going to begin calculating high-fives, fist-bumps, and other means of positive physical contact this season.

“We have a high-five stat,” Head Coach Earl Watson said. “We want to keep track of how many high-fives we get per game to each other.”

If only this metric was recorded during the Steve Nash era, where on almost every trip down court and in and out of nearly every time out, Nash took every opportunity he could to stick his hand into the vicinity of another player for a slap.

The statistic is supposed to be a method of measuring comradery, as a previous study league-wide found that teams who made more positive physical contact with one another helped each other out more on defense, set more screens, and generally played with a greater level of teamwork, communication, and commitment to one another.

We’ll see how this metric plays out for the Suns, and who leads the team in high-fives, chest bumps, fist bumps, and hugs. But one thing is for sure that fans will notice right away: this team is set up to be far less fractious than over the past two seasons, and while they still have a long way to grow, they are already playing more like a team than in recent memory.

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