Previewing the 2016 Phoenix Suns’ summer league team

The 2016 Summer Suns have been announced, and like past years, it’s another strong team.

A rookie of the year candidate, three highly talented selections in the draft and a very productive end of the bench big man highlight the team.

As they get ready for their first game on July 9 in Las Vegas, let’s break the roster down into groups.

The Future

Not only are the Summer Suns Devin Booker‘s team, but the team itself might be his in the future as well. Anytime you come off a rookie season that puts you in the company of recent generational talents like Kevin Durant and LeBron James, there’s a strong case for you to be the future of the franchise.

Many people, including myself, weren’t convinced of what else Booker could do besides shoot after coming from such a crowded roster at Kentucky. What Booker did right away in Las Vegas last summer, however, was shut those concerns down. He showed glimpses of an all-around offensive game, with the ability to create his own shot, make the right decisions and got to the rack with an underrated slashing game primarily using his left hand.

Booker’s surprise skill as a rookie carried all the way into the regular season, finishing fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting and handling a ridiculously large load of responsibility on both ends fairly well for being the youngest player in his class.

He’s not expected to play in many games with the USA’s Select Team camp coming later in the month, but he will be one of the best overall players in Vegas and can build some chemistry with the new draft picks in those games and practice time.

The New Blood

The standards for what you want to see out of players at summer league can differ. Some want to see improvement in key areas, while others just want to see players do what they are supposed to do. A mix of that is what we will be looking for with Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss.

Bender’s impact comes on defense and making the right decisions from the perimeter in his rookie year. He will have to show that his defense is as advertised and that he can also handle NBA minutes right away despite his age. He has the athletic and defensive ability to switch on nearly every ball screen, but the NBA is a whole new ball game, even in a summer league setting.

On offense, Bender’s consistency as a shooter from the three-point line, as well as contributing as a passer, will be what the Suns want to see out of him. His passing is highly acclaimed, but can he make a difference with it on offense by attacking closeouts on the perimeter and making the right decision? That’s what to watch for when it comes to the Croatian.

For Chriss — besides the same shooting standards for Bender –, it comes down to his defensive discipline. He led the NCAA in fouls, and will constantly try to make up for his bad positioning in different ways, including the occasional highlight reel block. Being in the right spot is step one, and making the right decision and play after that is step two. If we see any progress up to step two, that’s a great sign for the future.

If the defense is still as far behind as it appeared in his one year at Washington, the supposed appeal of him playing small forward would be nice to see offensively.

We should see a decent chunk of time with them playing as a duo, and with that comes concerns of how they will play on the interior and as rebounders. A July 10 matchup with the Boston Celtics and 6-foot-7, 260-pound first-round selection Guerschon Yabusele could be telling.

The Energizer

Trust me when I say no one is ready to prove themselves in Vegas more than Tyler Ulis. The 5-foot-9, 150-pound point guard presumably fell to the second round because of his size, and he’s going to come out of the gates swinging to prove everyone wrong.

Ulis is masterful at maximizing the space a defense will give him. He always has purpose with the ball, and an underrated scoring arsenal to take advantage of that. He’s a reliable three-point shooter, works his tail off and understands defense.

All the Suns need to see is if he can still create space and be a floor general at this level, and I think it’s foolish to doubt if he can get that done. It’s a gift for players like Bender and Chriss to have a point guard in Vegas with them like Ulis.

The Producer

Anywhere Alan Willaims plays, he produces. He averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds in his last three years of college, 20.8 points and 15.4 rebounds per game in China and then 20.5 points and 11.75 rebounds per game in last year’s Las Vegas summer league for the Houston Rockets.

That earned him an All-NBA summer league second team selection, and he’s a heavy favorite to land there again this season. He gives Phoenix a legitimate center at summer league and someone who can take a bulk of the rebounding duties with ease.

The Dark Horse

Williams should hold his roster spot, but if there’s anyone that could make a run for it, it’s Alec Brown.

The 7-foot-1 2014 second-round pick has had two inconsistent showings in summer league, and this could very well be his last chance to impress the Suns’ decision makers in this setting.

After spending a year in the D-League, the stretch five went to Spain this past season, where he played 16.3 minutes per game and averaged 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds. Perhaps most importantly, he shot 41.5 percent from deep on 65 attempts.

Bender and Chriss seem to have the perimeter-oriented spots on the interior locked up for the future and Williams’ skills seem perfect for the third center on the team, but if Brown plays his best ball yet in Vegas, who knows.

The Hopefuls

Some believe summer league is about showcasing young elite talent, but it’s more about giving fringe NBA players somewhere to showcase their skills for NBA, D-League and international teams.

That might sound like wishful thinking, but some summer league standouts in the past few years have turned their performances into NBA contracts, such as Will Cherry, Langston Galloway and the Suns’ own Williams.

Players like Derek Cooke, Shannon Scott, Askia Booker, Kyle Kuric and Richard Solomon have had experience in summer league and moving on to either the D-League or overseas, while Michael Bryson and Troy Williams are fresh out of college and are taking some of their first steps towards becoming professional basketball players. It’s a big week and a half for these seven players.

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