Phoenix Suns weighing options at point guard without Canaan

PHOENIX – In need of a point guard following the gruesome ankle injury to Isaiah Canaan, who underwent season-ending surgery Thursday, the Suns are weighing their options, according to general manager Ryan McDonough.

The options include signing a player — likely to a 10-day contract — either from the G League or off the street, acquiring a player before next week’s trade deadline or seeing which players may become available after being waived or bought out of their contract.

“I don’t think we’re probably going to want to wait too long,” McDonough said Thursday.

McDonough was right. The team is reportedly signing NAZ Suns point guard Josh Gray to a 10-day contract.

The Suns are banged up at the point guard position — starter Devin Booker is dealing with sore ribs while Tyler Ulis has a sore back — so the loss of Canaan could mean minutes for Gray right away.

“We kind of have to manage with what we have here now,” interim head coach Jay Triano said.

And what the Suns have — “in an emergency situation,” Triano said — are rookie Josh Jackson and second-year forward Dragan Bender to spell Booker, if needed.

“To get us started into something I don’t think that would be a bad thing,” Triano said, referring to Bender, who did run the offense some in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The Suns have gone from a team with too many point guards to not enough.

At one time, the Suns’ depth chart at that position read Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Ulis and Mike James.

“It’s crazy. (Vice president of basketball operations) James Jones and I were just talking about this. I can’t ever remember a year where a team had so many different players injured at the same position…but the point guard slot for us…that’s been a bit of a revolving door,” McDonough said.

“Yeah, we’re going to have to try to add a replacement one way or another.”

Watching film

After a late game the night before — a 102-88 win over Dallas — and another game coming up, the Suns didn’t do too much on the practice court, outside of each individual player working on their shooting.

Much of their time was spent watching film. Just the players.

“I know a lot of the team was in here early, in the locker room, watching film together with no coaches, planned or anything,” Booker said. “We all get on each other and laugh about it, but it’s a good learning experience for us.”

So who’s doing most of the instructing and/or talking during a players-only film session?

“Obviously, Tyson (Chandler) and Jared (Dudley). You can’t get through a film session without hearing their voices, which is a good thing,” Booker said, smiling. “They’ve been around the game a long time, they’ve both been on playoff teams, championship teams. They always have good advice for us.”

The film session caught the ear of Triano, who was meeting with his staff in another room.

“It was really cool. They had pulled all the chairs around (the television),” he said. “They were watching the game from last night. Rewinding it. Talking about what was good. ‘You got to pass it here’, ‘You got to move over here’, ‘Hey, why are you standing over there? Move.’

“It was really good. It was the same things the coaches were saying but when your peers say it and you watch it together—they’re wanting to learn.”

Booker mentioned he’s watching more film now than at any point in his career.

“Especially with the position change, playing more point guard; just figuring out time, situation, who to get the ball to at what time and finding ways to be aggressive at the same time,” he said.

Alex Len questionable

In addition to emergency point guard, Bender may be the Suns’ backup center for the Jazz game.

Alex Len is officially listed questionable because of right ankle soreness. He did not play against the Mavericks and has now missed four of the last five games.

Len first hurt the ankle Jan. 22 at Milwaukee.

“He did a little bit (at practice),” Triano said, before adding, “it will be tough for tomorrow but he said it’s feeling better which is a good sign.”

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