Phoenix Suns: Examining The Youngsters 2 Weeks Into 2016-17 Season

Marquese Chriss, Starting Power Forward

Like Bender, Marquese Chriss is a work in progress, and his development should be treated as such. Unlike Bender, Chriss has been given more opportunity to log the kind of minutes necessary for growth — without being completely thrown to the wolves.

Through Phoenix’s first nine games, the fourth youngest player in the NBA is only averaging 4.9 points and 3.2 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game, but he’s also seen the floor in all nine games.

Now that Watson has promoted Chriss to the starting job at the 4 and moved veteran Jared Dudley into a bench role, Chriss’ minutes, role and overall skill level will only increase.

“My role is the same starting or on the bench, I can do both,” Dudley said. “I was here to be a bridge for Marquese, try to help him and the second unit was suffering. I think this is a good space for us, but the starters slowly need to get a little more chemistry for us to take that next step.”

As a seasoned 31-year-old veteran, most guys in Dudley’s position might be angered by such an early season demotion. But the Suns fan favorite was actually grateful, saying it saves his legs while recounting a similar situation he had with the Milwaukee Bucks during his time there.

“After 20 games I told Jason Kidd to start Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and I thought Giannis was ready,” he said. “I don’t know if Marquese is ready right now 100 percent, but that doesn’t mean he can’t learn on the fly and he has the tools so overall, playing is the best equalizer.”

Chriss has yet to reach double figures in the scoring column, he hasn’t recorded more than five rebounds in a game and his season-high in minutes so far is the 22 he logged in the season opener. More than likely, Dudley and/or Tucker will still see as many minutes off the bench if not more.

However, Chriss was shooting 50 percent from the field before Wednesday’s 0-for-4 dud. He’s shown confidence shooting the three-ball, though he’s only made one of his seven attempts so far. He’s a freak athlete and so far, he’s looked like the most NBA-ready rookie on the roster.

However, his competitive nature have gotten the better of him at times. Watching him throw a seasoned pro like Andrew Bogut to the ground in preseason or talk trash after a big dunk is fun to watch from a 19-year-old, but that kind of behavior has also earned him two technicals in nine games.

That competitive fire can fuel a team’s engine if harnessed correctly, but as such a young age, it could also burn everything in its path if it’s not stoked properly.

"“A lot of times he clutches his fist, but I’d rather him speak instead of swing,” Watson said after Chriss’ first technical. “So it’s give and take, but when you come into this league and you’re young and you’re the playing top teams, sometimes you have to let them know who you are. [Given the] time and score we don’t want it, but I’d rather have a guy that I have to bring back than a guy I have to push forward.”"

Chriss certainly doesn’t need any help in that regard. His perimeter shot and defensive awareness clearly do, but again, he’s only 19 years old.

Watson, never one to back down from making NBA comparisons, said when the Suns first worked Chriss out in the pre-draft process, his dual nature as a completely nice kid off the court paired with a cutthroat mentality on it reminded him of Russell Westbrook. Draymond Green‘s name also came up.

“Draymond Green came to the scorer’s table in the middle of the [Warriors] game and said, ‘Man he reminds me of me,’” Watson recalled. “I said, ‘Yeah, good call.’ He said, ‘I like him.’ I said, ‘We love him.’”