Eleven games over.500 and two superstars in Kevin Durant and Devin Booker who are finding their feet await the Phoenix Suns upon their return from the All-Star break. Both participated in the midseason exhibition, and Bradley Beal is anticipated to return shortly after the break from his hamstring injury.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, as the postseason approaches, a number of Suns players are vying for their positions in this rotation. The Dallas Mavericks game on Thursday presents a great chance for some of these players to make a move toward a larger role in the future.
They won’t have it easy, though, because that same night the Suns’ newest addition is expected to make his team debut.
The player in question is Thaddeus Young, who was most recently a member of the Toronto Raptors. He has not yet cleared waivers to sign a contract with the franchise, but it is known that he will do so as soon as he is eligible. Young, who is 35 years old, will be here to try to force his way into head coach Frank Vogel’s postseason rotation.
Per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Young could be , and should in theory be available to then face the Mavericks. A team who – as a result of the past chatter between Booker and Luka Doncic – have become perhaps the Suns’ biggest rival in the NBA right now. Certainly the main rival of this version of the Suns’ roster anyway.
Playing well against the Mavericks would be a terrific opportunity for Young to make an impression on his new team. The Suns added Royce O’Neale and David Roddy to their squad in addition to making a few trade deadline acquisitions of their own. Roddy has only made one appearance in The Valley thus far, but O’Neale seems like a perfect fit.
Young’s arrival should therefore benefit the frontcourt rotation, particularly because Udoka Azubuike and Drew Eubanks have minimal offensive potential and Chimezie Metu was traded in the O’Neale trade. Young, who isn’t quite a traditional big man but can spend time in the paint, provides the Suns another look.
It may be that Young can give Durant some extra rest once Beal is back by playing alongside those two, but the smart bet is on Young and Durant playing together as the Suns go smaller against some teams. Young has never been one to stretch the floor – he’s right around 33 percent from deep throughout his 17-year career – but he is going to make more than Eubanks or Azubuike.
What he can do is offer help on the defensive end and a veteran desire to try and win what would be his first championship. Young has also started 33 of the 57 playoff games he has appeared in, and Suns fans would be much more comfortable with him on the court when it really matters compared to the likes of Eubanks or Bol Bol. A solid pickup by the organization from the buyout market.
