Phoenix Suns: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 NBA season

5. Point guard and center are glaring needs

The list of point guards who suited up for the Phoenix Suns this season reads as follows:

• Half-Assing It Eric Bledsoe (3 games)
• Two-way contract Mike James (32 games)
• Former second round draft pick Tyler Ulis (70 games)
• December signee Isaiah Canaan (19 games)
• G League call-up Josh Gray (5 games)
• Trade acquisition/rental Elfrid Payton (19 games)
• G League call-up Shaquille Harrison (22 games)

I mean, my God.

Bledsoe played three games for the Suns before forcing his way out, during which time the Suns lost by 48 points to the Portland Trail Blazers, gave up 132 points to the Los Angeles Lakers and got smashed by 42 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

James was a great story early on, but his efficiency quickly took a nosedive and he was waived in December. Canaan signed on in December after the Suns were granted an injury hardship exemption, but 19 games later, he suffered a horrific ankle injury and was done for the year.

Gray played out two 10-day contracts following Canaan’s injury, but was not signed on after that. Instead, the Suns called up the defensively impressive Shaquille Harrison, who earned a multi-year deal guaranteed through the rest of the 2017-18 campaign. He racks up steals like no other, but is offensively limited.

Elfrid Payton was brought in at the trade deadline for a mere second round pick, but failed to prove himself as the answer to the Suns’ point guard problem as he enters restricted free agency. It’s more than likely he’ll be allowed to walk for nothing this summer as a short-term rental.

Tyler Ulis struggled following his summer ankle surgery in 2017, and though he’s come to life by averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 assists per game over the last 10 games, he’s proven his role in this league is that of a backup point guard by averaging 7.8 points and 4.4 assists per game on cringeworthy .388/.288/.832 shooting splits for the season.

The center position is much easier to navigate: Tyson Chandler will be 36 years old before the 2018-19 season begins, Alex Len is an unrestricted free agent on his way out and Alan Williams is a high-energy backup coming off a knee injury with a non-guaranteed salary for next season.

The Suns have a number of avenues to address these blatant positions of need, starting with the draft. If Phoenix selects a playmaking guard like Luka Doncic or Trae Young, bigs like Clint Capela (restricted free agent), Derrick Favors (unrestricted), Jusuf Nurkic (restricted) or even DeAndre Jordan (unrestricted) could be options in free agency. Lower level targets could include Dewayne Dedmon or bringing back Len on a cheap deal.

However, if the Suns take one of the many elite bigs in the draft like DeAndre Ayton, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mohamed Bamba or Marvin Bagley III, free agency targets like Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Austin Rivers or (gulp) more familiar options like Isaiah Thomas or Elfrid Payton make sense, depending on the price. The Suns could also just plug a healthy Brandon Knight in at the 1, even if he’s not the long-term answer.

In either case, the Suns desperately need a defensive anchor in the frontcourt and a playmaking floor general who can make Devin Booker’s life easier, spread the floor and — God forbid — play some actual defense on the perimeter. As Booker enters his fourth season, putting real NBA talent around him is a must, and it starts at two of the most important positions on the floor.