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Phoenix Suns: Who Belongs In Their Backcourt For The Future?

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 20, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (3) during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (3) during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 23, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Archie Goodwin (20) celebrates after making the game winning three point basket against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns won 98-95. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /

Archie Goodwin

The Good:

Archie Goodwin has a few useful qualities on his side that would lead you to believe it’s too early for the Suns to give up on him. He’s got an extremely quick first step that allows him to get by defenders and slash to the basket, where he is capable of getting to the foul line.

But most of all, Goodwin is still incredibly young at only 21 years old. He’s extremely athletic, has a wide wingspan and has made some big-time shots when the Suns have given him the opportunity to stay on the floor late in games. There’s clearly talent there, even if it’s still pretty raw in his third NBA season.

The Bad:

Unfortunately for Goodwin, there might not be enough room in this team’s rotation for him moving forward. He’s already being phased out of Earl Watson’s lineup as the interim head coach tries to prove he’s worth keeping beyond this season, and despite Goodwin’s flashes of potential, they’ve never amounted to anything substantial.

Archie Goodwin is not a point guard despite the Suns’ attempts to groom him out of necessity, he’s a poor defender and his three-point shot (23.1 percent) is non-existent. Goodwin can get by defenders well enough, but he’s converted just 48.5 percent of his shots around the rim, per NBA.com, and he’s shooting only 69.2 percent from the foul line.

With Booker’s emergence, Knight and Bledsoe occupying two more spots and 2014 draft pick Bogdan Bogdanovic coming over this summer, it feels like Goodwin is never going to earn meaningful minutes in Phoenix.

The Verdict: Trade Him

Goodwin’s career high 8.9 points per game this season are misleading, and the Suns might have to ship him out for whatever draft compensation they can get. The backcourt is simply too log-jammed, and it’d be better for Goodwin to move on to a situation where the world could finally find out if he can become a quality NBA player or not.

Next: Bogdanovic

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