Phoenix Suns Roster 2019 Suns Roster

The Phoenix Suns appear to have finally turned the corner in their rebuilding efforts. It is not that they are yet poised to contend, but the Suns have completed a housecleaning that has sent lackadaisical and problematic players out of town. This season will go a long way towards determining whether the Suns' roster moves had a cohesive vision or were simply good at ridding the team of the players responsible for a 21-win season. The best move of the offseason that the Suns made was showing up for the draft lottery. The Suns selected Deandre Ayton with the top overall pick and all indications are that he is a star in the making. With longtime assistant Igor Kokoskov taking the reins as head coach, the Suns at least have some optimism for the future. Phoenix will likely take its lumps for another season while stockpiling more high draft picks.

Phoenix Suns Roster Top 3 Questions

Phoenix is a young team, but only Devin Booker is a lock for the future. Josh Jackson is the rookie this season, playing well down the stretch when Booker and Warren dealt with their injuries. The Suns traded for Elfrid Payton mid-year, hoping to give Booker some help. With the injuries to all these names we didn’t get a lot of them together. Behind Payton and Booker sit Troy Daniels, Tyler Ulis, and Shaquille Harrison. Not a lot of production expected from this group. Despite throwing plenty of picks at bigs, the Suns have a logjam of guys with major flaws. Dragan Bender is inconsistent, while Marquese Chriss can’t stay out of foul trouble. Alan Williams missed the season with injury, but came back towards the last few weeks. Tyson Chandler and Alex Len both had their moments this season, but Chandler rested more than played this year, and will look to be bought out.

Who Will Play the Point?

Phoenix shipped away Eric Bledsoe and Tyler Ulis, leaving the Suns without a true point guard. Devin Booker is not a traditional point guard, although he can distribute the ball if necessary. The Suns acquired De'Anthony Melton in the offseason, and he can possibly be the point guard of the future. However, the Suns seem hesitant to play Melton. Until that point, the Suns will likely have to employ a stopgap at the point.

How Good is Ayton?

That is the question that everyone wants to know in Phoenix. Ayton certainly seems to think he is a future superstar. His performance in the Summer League certainly seemed to back up that notion. Ayton is everything that a center in the modern day NBA should be, with size, quickness and versatility. Defense will always be an open question with Ayton, but for one year at least, the Suns brought in Trevor Ariza to fortify their team defense. Offensively, Ayton is that good that the Rookie of the Year contest is already a two-horse race between him and Luka Doncic. There will be the inconsistency that comes with being a rookie in the NBA, but count of Ayton to be the best player on this team come March.

How Far Away is Phoenix?

Currently, the answer to that question is still pretty far away. The Suns made the first key step by clearing out the malcontents, but now they need to create their own identity. The Suns will likely be picking high in the lottery next season as well which will likely lead to another frontcourt player to pair with Ayton. The youth movement will give the Suns enough salary cap space to sign a point guard, which is what the team really needs to get the ball to Ayton. There are certainly bigger changes coming after the Suns fired general manager Ryan McDonough before the start of the regular season. The activity prior to the trading deadline will be the first indicator whether that will mean a change in direction for the team or more of the same.