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Phoenix Suns: Assessing The Power Forward Situation

By Gerald Bourguet

Nov 27, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (right) and P.J. Tucker react on the bench against the Golden State Warriors at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (right) and P.J. Tucker react on the bench against the Golden State Warriors at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Phoenix Suns
Nov 29, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Phoenix Suns forward Jon Leuer (30) hits a three-point shot against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Suns beat the Raptors 107-102. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Phoenix’s Leuerd And Savior

In an offseason that featured the arrival of a former Defensive Player of the Year in Tyson Chandler and the drafting of a promising young sharpshooter in Devin Booker, not many people were expecting Jon Leuer to be the best new piece the Suns acquired over the summer.

With the 44th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Phoenix traded their second round selection to the Memphis Grizzlies for the rarely used Leuer, who was considered to be little more than an afterthought and a Goran Dragic look-alike if you stretched him out to 6’10”. Instead, he’s emerged as one of the team’s most pleasant surprises for play that Hornacek continuously describes as “solid.”

On the season, Leuer is averaging 8.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game — all career highs. He’s shooting 48.9 percent from the field and has made 41.2 percent of his 2.0 three-pointers per game, helping the Suns spread the floor and just making smart — and sometimes surprisingly athletic — plays.

“Jon is just solid, he knows how to play,” Hornacek said. “He does a lot of little things that probably don’t show up in the stat sheets. He can step out and knock down the three also, or he could even drive. So he’s a good all-around player.”

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Leuer has been so helpful that Hornacek moved him into the starting lineup in Phoenix’s Dec. 2 road game against the Detroit Pistons and hasn’t looked back since. Over the last seven games, Leuer has averaged 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on 56.2 percent shooting as the team’s starting power forward.

Though he’s not a great defender, he’s big enough to bang down low in the paint and his ability to spread the floor and attack defenders off the dribble when they try to close out has been huge for Phoenix’s spacing. With defenses forced to honor his shot, driving lanes have opened up for Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight in a way that Markieff Morris just wasn’t providing.

Leuer’s emergence in the starting lineup, combined with the solid play of Teletovic, is not only helping Phoenix win games; it’s helped make the disgruntled and struggling Markieff Morris expendable. If you’re looking for a reason the Suns might be willing to move on from Keef, look no further than Phoenix’s Leuerd and Savior.

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