Phoenix Suns’ Archie Goodwin sounds off on make-up of team’s roster
Apr 7, 2015, 4:02 PM | Updated: 4:37 pm
Leadership.
It’s a team ingredient that has been discussed a lot concerning the 2014-15 Phoenix Suns.
Unfortunately for Jeff Hornacek’s team, it’s been talked about as a missing ingredient for a young basketball team that will miss the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year, tying a franchise-record for longest postseason drought.
Over last weekend, the youngest member of the Suns sounded off on the subject.
After last Saturday night’s win over the Utah Jazz, Archie Goodwin joined the Suns Interactive Postgame Show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM and shared some candid comments with co-hosts Jon Bloom and Greg Esposito.
“Just having a vocal leader — Channing Frye was great at that for us last year — I think that’s another thing that we’re missing because we don’t really have a solid vet that’s been through the trenches and knows exactly what’s going on, besides Danny Granger, but he’s not playing. He’s hurt,” Goodwin said. “I think that’s what we’re really missing.”
Goodwin, the 29th overall pick of the 2013 draft, has played sparingly in his second season with the team and has made a couple of shuttles between the Suns and their D-League affiliate in Bakersfield, Calif.
In 36 contests, Goodwin has logged 411 minutes and is averaging 5.2 points per game while shooting just over 39 percent from the floor.
Midway through the season, Goodwin voiced his frustration over the lack of opportunity he was receiving at the NBA level. The Suns’ roster dynamic changed in late-February at the trade deadline when they shipped off guards Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas and Tyler Ennis in separate deals, and that has meant a little more playing time for the former Kentucky star.
Since the trade deadline, he’s appeared in 21 of Phoenix’s 22 games and has averaged 14.3 minutes per contest.
Goodwin also vented on the lack of defined responsibilities for many of the players this season.
“I also think we don’t do a good job of letting guys know what exactly their role is,” he said. “I feel like this year a lot of guys felt like their only role is just to come in and score.
“Winning teams, you have guys that do that, you have guys that defend, you have guys that know they’re rebounders, you have guys who facilitate and make others better. I don’t think we really have that. We pass the ball, but I think that more so a lot of guys think that the only thing they’re out there to do is score, and that’s been a big problem with us.”
