Storyline 1: Who is the starting point guard?
The Phoenix Suns may have four players duking it out for the starting point guard job at training camp, but they don’t really have a capable starting point guard.
After trading away Brandon Knight over the summer, Phoenix’s options are:
- A second round rookie who is 20 years old
- Another second round rookie who is 20 years old
- A former G League call-up with 23 career NBA games to his name
- A five-year veteran coming off a scary ankle injury who’s usually on third string duty
The Phoenix Suns can add all the shooting, defense, wings, secondary playmaking, new offensive systems and veteran experience they want, but they’re not even sniffing the playoffs without a serious upgrade at perhaps the most important spot on the floor.
Until a trade can be reached — which McDonough said the team will be pursuing throughout the preseason and leading up to the trade deadline if need be — the Suns will roll with one of their under-qualified options and try to compensate for that shortcoming in other ways.
"“We’re conceptually trying to turn what you’d call a weakness into a strength,” Kokoskov said. “Nobody’s got that much depth at point guard. We don’t have one guy that we’re saying, ‘This is the starting point guard,’ but we have four point guards who can start anytime. So maybe those guys aren’t going to play longer stretches, they’re going to give us shorter stretches, play less minutes but more intense and be solid.”"
Right now, Elie Okobo feels like the frontrunner to win the training camp battle. McDonough said he’s been a standout performer in scrimmages over the summer, and though Melton might be a better fit next to Booker on paper, he’s only been in Phoenix for a few weeks.
The Suns could’ve taken Melton at No. 31 in the draft, but went with Okobo instead. Isaiah Canaan has the most experience, but the least upside. Alhough Shaquille Harrison is a dark horse candidate because of his defense, he’s a major liability on offense.
This is the most unstable position on the court for the Phoenix Suns, and it will be interesting to see when (not if) they pull the trigger with their name being linked to Kemba Walker, Damian Lillard, Terry Rozier, Patrick Beverley, Jeff Teague and Tyus Jones over the summer.