Phoenix Suns: 4 reasons why T.J. Warren should start over Josh Jackson
By Drew Zlogar
1. Experience
The first reason why T.J. Warren will be starting over Josh Jackson is simple: Experience is invaluable at the NBA level. We see it done all over professional sports. For instance, an NFL team can draft a quarterback with their top selection, but not start him right away. They want the young player to watch the speed of the game and see how the flow of the game goes.
With this small forward competition, it makes sense to have Warren start over Jackson, at least early on in the season. The Suns aren’t going to be competing at the top of the West soon, so there is no rush to throw him to the wolves. Let the young star ease into his time as a professional basketball player.
One thing that comes with being a top-five selection in an NBA Draft is high expectation. A nice way for a franchise to quiet those expectations, or at least push them to the side a bit is to ease the young player into action.
Too often we see players in every professional sport thrown into a role they aren’t ready for yet, hear the media’s criticism about their performance, and soon realize that he has let the chatter get into their heads. For a young man like Jackson, who will be figuring out how to act as a professional athlete on and off the court this season, it would be a shame for him to buy into criticism early and have his mindset plummet. This is why it is a safe move to start the veteran.