A year ago, Channing Frye was being informed of an incredibly rare heart disease that would sideline him for the entire 2012-13 season. After a treadmill stress test that players take before every team’s training camp begins in October, Frye was told rest was his only option. Fast forward one year and Frye has not only been cleared to play, but he’s lighting up the Portland Trail Blazers in a preseason game. After a year of inactivity, how did he look in his debut?
Well, Frye’s return doesn’t exactly compare to Derrick Rose‘s debut, but it was good for Suns fans to see nonetheless. In 16 minutes off the bench, Frye showed why Phoenix has missed his perimeter touch and tallied 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting. He also went 3-of-4 from downtown and added one rebound, one assist and one steal to his numbers. Not bad for a guy who literally couldn’t do anything to improve his game for an entire year.
Here’s what’s even more impressive about Frye’s big night back: If it weren’t for his foot being a tad over the line twice, his first two made field goals would’ve been 3-pointers as well. That means if you scoot him back an inch or so, Frye conceivably shot 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Which is both good news and bad news for Phoenix Suns fans.
The good news is, Phoenix finally has someone with long-range touch who can spread the floor. And with so many teams playing (or trying to play) small ball now, a stretch 4 like Frye is a precious commodity. Frye is a career 39 percent shooter from long range, which would’ve been a team-best last season by a wide margin if not for Jared Dudley (39.1 percent). But since Dudley’s since been traded, that means Frye’s 39 percent from 3-point range is easily the best among those still remaining on the Suns’ roster.
Last season, Marcus Morris shot 36.9 percent from 3-point range, taking three of attempts per game. Markieff Morris shot 33.6 percent while taking 1.6 3-pointers every night. The weakest area of Goran Dragic‘s game was also shooting from downtown, as he attempted 3.6 shots from there every night and only made 31.9 percent of them. Kendall Marshall shot 31.5 percent, P.J. Tucker shot 31.4 percent and Shannon Brown shot 27.7 percent from deep. Basically, anytime someone on the 2012-13 Phoenix Suns shot a 3-pointer, it wasn’t going in two out of every three times. Frye can help a little bit in that area.
However, Frye’s hot shooting night could also be very bad news. Unless you have no soul, it was great to see a good person like Frye have a big night in his first game back. It felt like a triumphant and much-deserved return. But 5-of-6 shooting nights aren’t the norm and in this case, it could’ve just been a happy exception. Just because Frye deserved (and did) have a good night in his first game back doesn’t mean fans can expect the same kind of results every game. With that in mind, do fans really want to see Frye chucking up six 3-point attempts per game with none of his shots coming in the paint?
Everyone remembers the buzzer beaters, but what about in the 2010 Western Conference Finals when he missed 17 consecutive shots against the Lakers? I’m not trying to rain on his parade, but a 39 percent 3-point shooter probably isn’t good enough to be getting that many looks from deep every night. When a shooter’s got his stroke going you let him shoot it, but wouldn’t it have been nice to see him score from inside too? And if not inside, maybe an elbow or a baseline jumper to indicate a little versatility to his game? I love to see a good 3 just like everyone else, but I’d hate to see a talented player like Frye be so one-dimensional.
You also have to take into account his other stats. Looking at the box score, Frye’s one rebound isn’t enough for a guy his size, even if he wasn’t playing out of place at the center position like he’s had to in recent seasons. Rebounding has always been a weak spot for Frye, as shown by his career 5.2 rebounds per game. At 6’11”, there’s little excuse for that, especially since he’s given free rein to jack up 3s on the other end whenever he’s open.
Overall, Channing Frye’s debut was a welcome one and a good moment for Frye and fans alike. But it was also a potentially frightening one. Sure, it’s easy to drain threes in a preseason game when there’s no pressure and he’s feeling good about just being back on the court, but what happens when the shots aren’t falling and that feeling wears off? This kind of question may be a little premature, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on while watching Frye’s return this season.