PHOENIX, AZ – FEBRUARY 23: Brandon Knight #3 of the Phoenix Suns reacts as he walks down court during the second half of the NBA game against the Boston Celtics at US Airways Center on February 23, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Celtics defeated the Suns 115-110. . (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Another Phoenix Suns season has come to a close, prematurely once more. Time to debrief and recap how all 14 players currently on the team’s roster fared during the 2014/15 season. This is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly on Brandon Knight
2014/15 Phoenix Stats: 11 games, 31.5 mpg, 13.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 4.5 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.1 bpg, 2.1 topg, 35.7% FG, 31.3% 3Pts, 82.8% FT, 1.9 3P/game
(bolded stats indicate team leader)
Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent
The Good
– led team in 3-pointers made per game & free throw %
– provided another steady ball-handler & playmaker in the backcourt
– can & did play both backcourt positions
– is still only 23
– intelligent, mature player
– showed flashes of brilliance in game vs Orlando (28 points, 7 assists, 3 steals)
– was borderline All-Star with Milwaukee earlier this season
The Bad
– was injured for most of his Phoenix tenure
– played quite poorly when he did see court time
– despite team’s arguments to the contrary, is a point guard & has been his whole career
– plays same position as team’s best player, Eric Bledsoe
– if team does slot him as a shooting guard, he’s undersized
– restricted free agent – might force team to overpay for him
– team gave up a lot (players & draft pick) to acquire him via trade
The Ugly
– shot 35.7%
– needed 13 shots a game to score his 13.4 points
– two teams worse than the Suns (Detroit & Milwaukee) have already deemed him replaceable & traded him
Conclusion
The Brandon Knight gamble didn’t exactly pan out for the Suns this season. And just because he was a subpar point guard earlier in his career doesn’t mean that he should be playing shooting guard. It will be interesting to see how things play out with his restricted free agency this summer.
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