Empire of the Suns Round Table: Defense not meeting expectations

Another edition of the Empire of the Suns Round Table featuring Jon Bloom, Kevin Zimmerman, Kellan Olson and Bryan Gibberman.

1. If you had to pick one reason the Suns haven’t lived up to expectations what would it be?  

Jon Bloom:  Here’s the problem, there’s usually never just one reason, and in this case there is definitely a veritable plethora.  While most fans probably want to hear that Markieff Morris is the single reason for the downfall, I’m sorry to disappoint (although I admittedly still have a lot of work to do if I want to catch Keef in the disappointment category).  Put my back up against the wall and team chemistry would still be the open wound I’d try to patch up first, unfortunately it also could be the toughest to heal.

Kevin Zimmerman: For as many rough patches the team faced in terms of fit, cohesion and identity, the Suns were easily expected to be in the top half of the NBA in a number of defensive categories, and that’s been far from the case. Individually, Tyson Chandler, Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight have played well below expectations. Markieff Morris’ disappearance hasn’t helped on that end, either.

Kellan Olson: The team defense has to be up there. I thought Brandon Knight had a chance to be a better defender with more time off the ball and I was dead wrong. Tyson Chandler has had some good runs of play, but he looks to have lost a step and that’s bad news for the defense he was supposed to anchor. Perhaps the most surprising player was Eric Bledsoe, who wasn’t anywhere close to his old defensive numbers before his injury.

Bryan Gibberman: Not to be boring but I have to go with what Kevin and Kellan said — it’s the defense. The Suns have the fifth-worst defensive rating in the NBA and for a group that was hoping to finish in the top 10, that’s a major disappointment. The breakdowns they have all over the court are stunning and completely unacceptable. He’s far from the only person to blame, but Phoenix being about three points worse per 100 possessions defensively with Tyson Chandler on the court was not something I was prepared to see before the season started.

2. How many minutes should Archie Goodwin be playing on a nightly basis?

JB: I think it’s fair to want to see him get 15-20 minutes off the bench. It also depends on whether they go back to starting Ronnie Price next to Brandon Knight when Price’s toe heals. I love the fearlessness in Archie and the fact that no matter who’s on the court or in his way, he’s going to get to the rim. Due to his inconsistent shot, teams will sag off of him on the perimeter though, making it tougher to get open looks without his penetration. He’s still developing (and improving), and although just 21-years-old, in year three in the league his patience could be wearing thin. My hope is he continues to stay confident and I strongly believe at some point his opportunity will come.

KZ: With Bledsoe out, Goodwin acting as a backup at either guard spot should allow him 15 minutes per game. And he’s earned it. He’s been making the simple, correct plays while continuing to attack on drives. He’s also low-key playing sound defense. He needs consistent playing time and finally appears ready to do it.

KO: At least 10 minutes a game and probably more. If there was ever a time to find out if Goodwin is a player for the future, it’s right now with the Suns headed towards a top-five pick. Goodwin is a tremendous slasher and finisher at the rim, but there still has to be more to his game in order for him to succeed in the NBA. This has been the discussion for the past two years regarding Goodwin, but his minutes can’t get too high without injuries because Ronnie Price has been one of the Suns’ best players this season.

BG: We’ve reached the moment to see what Archie Goodwin has. I’d say at the low-end 20 going all the way to the low 30s. Ronnie Price has had a positive impact when playing (this shows how bad things have gotten), but that’s diminishing returns. He’s not part of your long-term core and you need to find out if Goodwin is. If he plays well, he can do that — or at worst, raise his trade value. The heavy minutes at the guard position needs to be split between Goodwin, Brandon Knight and Devin Booker with a little bit of Lorenzo Brown and Price mixed in.

3. Thoughts on how Brandon Knight is handling the lead guard role?

JB: I’ll leave the numbers to the analytics guys on the round table, but in my own eyes, he’s had his ups and downs. He is a far better spot-up shooter than a pull-up or shoot on the run guy, and for that reason the argument he may be better off the ball is valid. I like Brandon, and I’m confident he’s got the skills to be a starting guard in this league, but in the end, he might be perfectly suited alongside a guy like Eric Bledsoe.

KZ: I’m with the majority in thinking he has been disappointing and has room to grow, but I may be a minority in believing Knight has the ability to improve enough to be an above-average starting guard. While both he and Bledsoe struggled all year with turnovers and poor shot selection, Knight has history last season with leading a playoff team. However, he might be one of few players who coach Jeff Hornacek may want to provide more structure for in order to succeed.

KO: Knight has spent most of his time in the NBA playing point guard and it shows. He doesn’t look lost when he’s the primary ball handler and the ball doesn’t stick to him like some combo guards when they play point guard. It seems like his passing has been much better as well and maybe he just needs the ball in his hands more in order to be more comfortable driving and dishing. With that said, his flaws playing with Bledsoe are still there and he doesn’t look like the long-term solution at point guard.

BG: ‘Meh’ is the best way I can put it. Knight has flashes where he looks to terrific and at other times he looks lost. Unfortunately, the latter outweighs the former. In the eight games since Eric Bledsoe went down, the Suns are the same team offensively with Knight on the court and six points worse per 100 defensively. That’s not a good look considering who he’s getting replaced by and he’s supposed to be your best offensive player. Knight has a lot of growing to do if he’s going to be worth that contract he was given.