Phoenix Suns: Adding The Right Kind Of Veterans

With a team that includes a host of raw and high potential youngsters and a rookie head coach, not only did the Phoenix Suns manage to add veterans, but they got some of the very best around.

Not only do the young Phoenix Suns have a lot of developing to do, but they also have a lot left to learn about the realities of life in the NBA.

The team’s roster heading into the 2016-17 season is something of a melting pot of styles and talent levels. That’s not going to fill anybody with the confidence to suggest that they’re a team set to have a big year, but if you look a little closer there’s at least evidence of a coherent plan.

There are a whole host of teams around the league who could be described as young and inexperienced, but Phoenix could realistically be the leader in that category come opening night.

Not only does the Suns’ roster include youngsters who are only finding their feet in the league or are even yet to do so, such as Devin Booker, Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss and Tyler Ulis, but in Earl Watson they also have a head coach who’s preparing for his first full season in charge of an NBA team.

Nothing in the NBA is as simple as just throwing a team of talented youngsters together and watching them figure it out, and as such they’ll need guidance over the coming few seasons.

As a journeyman pro in his own recently concluded playing days, Watson clearly gained the trust of the players during a 33-game spell in interim control of the team following the departure of Jeff Hornacek last season.

Still, as he gets his feet under the table he’ll need strong voices around him to lend a helping hand.

The signing of Tyson Chandler in the summer of 2015 certainly raised some eyebrows, and even if he was acquired with a different purpose at that time, Watson will undoubtedly be happy to have him in the locker room for the rebuilding/development process in the coming seasons.

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The importance of players like Chandler can not be understated.

Not only is the California native a former champion who knows what it takes to win, but he has also generally been a tone setter defensively throughout his career, as evidenced by his Defensive Player of the Year award from 2012.

In a season that certainly didn’t go to plan for Phoenix last year, Chandler didn’t necessarily provide the contributions that were expected of him in those areas, and in some senses that likely gave the Suns’ front office a greater understanding of how valuable leadership could be for a team who has lacked it at times.

You can expect for more to be asked of Chandler in that regard this season, but Phoenix has also made the necessary moves to ensure that the onus doesn’t fall entirely at his feet.

In signing Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa, not only did the Suns bring in two of the best veteran players in the NBA, but they gave their fans something to cheer about in welcoming home two favorites from the franchise’s heady days of years gone by.

Dudley’s legs may not quite be what they used to be, but if anything he’s a player who has improved with age.

The 31-year-old’s defensive awareness has developed extraordinarily well in his time in the league, and as evidenced by a 42.3 percent success rate from deep last year his shooting is still as strong as ever.

Dudley is also one of the league’s more vocal players both on and off the court, an underrated trait when it comes to a young locker room.

As demonstrated by his play with a young team with a similar dynamic in Milwaukee in 2014-15, Dudley’s high IQ coupled with that strong voice helps younger teammates to stay in position, retain focus and ultimately look a lot more organized.

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Having been a key part of historic Golden State Warriors teams in the past two seasons, Leandro Barbosa is certainly no slouch.

Although the incredible speed that once earned him the nickname of the Brazilian Blur is slowly fading, the 31-year-old is still faster than most opponents he squares off with.

Capable of playing on or off the ball at either of the back court positions, Barbosa is very versatile.

With no problem accepting responsibility and dishing as a passer or knocking down shots, Barbosa brings a quieter leadership style which is very much predicated on setting the example.

Finding the balance in minutes that will keep the veterans happy, while also giving the team’s potential young stars sufficient time to improve will be one of the biggest challenges facing Earl Watson.

At the very least though, he’ll know that he has veterans who are not only capable of helping the less experienced members of the roster, but who are also capable of contributing in their own right.

In constructing a team that has the perfect mix of youth and experience, the veterans need to not only be able to help guide the youngsters but to step up and relieve the pressure on them with their own play from time to time too.

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After a summer of good work from the front office, the Phoenix Suns should be well-equipped in that regard for the new season.

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