The Suns have been struggling through an extended rebuild for several years now, which has led to them piling up plenty of young players and prospects that have had to compete for playing time. First it was Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, now it appears to be Mikal Bridges and Josh Jackson. As Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer writes, Bridges appears to have the edge moving forward as a result of the added shooting he can provide.
Bridges has impressed so far this season for the Suns while Jackson has only continued to disappoint, which has led to inconsistent playing time and opportunities for the sophomore wing. With shooting being emphasized all over the league, it’s no surprise that Bridges is getting more opportunities, especially considering that he has been solid on the defensive end for a rookie.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how the playing time and opportunities play out on the wing for the Suns, especially as they will likely add another top prospect to the roster for next season.
There’s more from the Pacific division:
- As the lopsided losses continue to pile up for the Suns, frustration is mounting within the locker room. As Duane Rankin writes for Arizona Central, there have been numerous instances of friction and disconnect throughout the team, especially because the Suns were looking to be more competitive this season.
- After only appearing in four games early in the season, it appears that Luc Mbah a Moute finally has a timetable for his return, as Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register reveals that the Clippers expect him to return in a couple of weeks from his left knee injury.
- As the Warriors continue to fight through a season full of turmoil and injuries, Nick Friedell of ESPN writes that the team is still looking to find its joy, which is much harder to regain as it isn’t a tangible goal or accomplishment such as a championship ring or trophy.
Arizona Republic reports today that DeAndre Ayton and Devin Booker have been fighting.
Warriors just said in their local newspaper yesterday, the Mercury News, that with everybody back, they are looking to a long winning streak. Boston is on a 5 game streak of their own.
note to small market teams: playing a rookie 30 mins/night isn’t the best path for development
The Suns are a terribly run team. You could have an All Star PG paired with Booker right now. Instead Josh Jackson is a reserve. Cavs wanted Jackson + a first, which would have likely been protected. Same thing in baseball applies, you trade prospects for established players, even moreso when they are young established players. Potential is great, but most guys dont pan out. Get 2 or 3 very good players, and fill it in with guys that excel at a certain thing like defense or 3pt shooting.
Agree. I think it was public opinion that blocked the JJ/Bledsoe/Irving trade; everyone was so excited about Jackson, and CLE’s interest only added to it.
And how hard is it o find a decent 2nd guard when you have tradeable assets?