Phoenix Suns: 2016-17 First Quarter Grades

Jared Dudley

Most people recognized the Jared Dudley signing was meant for more than just boosting morale with a former fan favorite, and so far in 2016-17, he’s delivered on pretty much every front.

Dudley was also meant to provide an example of what a true professional looks like for the incoming youth, while also preventing Marquese Chriss or Dragan Bender from being fed to the wolves on opening night as the starting power forward.

Dudley’s tenure as Phoenix’s starting 4 was a lot briefer than most expected, with the 10-year veteran accepting his bench role just eight games into the Suns’ season.

"“Nah, overall it saves my legs, saves my career!” he said. “The whole thing was to groom Marquese and I can still groom him. I told Marquese when I first signed here, after 20 games I told Jason Kidd to start Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and I thought Giannis was ready. 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.”"

In his seven games as a starter, Dudley averaged 6.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game on .441/.440/.500 shooting splits. In his 14 games coming off the bench, those numbers have increased to 9.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game on .480/.404/.684 shooting.

So not only has Dudley willingly embraced a backup role, but in doing so, he’s been far more effective from a production standpoint while also giving Chriss ample opportunity to build his confidence.

Dudley can still fulfill his veteran mentor role from the bench, and his passing and experience strengthen the Suns’ second unit. He’s still getting more minutes than Chriss and Bender, a trend that must change as the season progresses, but he’s spread the floor, provided a great example of what it takes to last in this league and will continue to make the right plays off the bench.

Grade: B-