When you’ve been in Las Vegas for 10 days, things become a bit cloudy. Living out of a hotel room in a giant pyramid and eating at numerous restaurants with names like “Tacos & (insert alcohol name here)” has that effect. The concept of days and times disappear, as you rely on whatever taxi driver is closest to get you to and from your destination.
Despite that being my reality, one thing has become abundantly clear, the Suns’ future is bright.
First round pick Devin Booker has shown off his ability to shoot with sharper accuracy than Hawkeye, a surprising athleticism and an uncanny knack at getting rebounds when on the floor. When you spend time with him, you learn it’s more than his on-the-court play that is impressive about him. In conversation you forget he’s only 18-years old due to his maturity, that is until he reminds you he has a PS4 in his room as his sole source of entertainment in Sin City.
T.J. Warren has proven one thing over and over, and over and over again, over the last two weeks, he can score and your only hope to contain him is by getting him on the bench. He’s also proven that Warren Peace isn’t just a cool nickname, it’s the way he carries himself. He is a silent assassin who can strike without a warning. His quiet demeanor off the court is a disguise he’s waiting to shed, as if he’s a member of the League of Shadows, waiting for his chance to make his move on it.
Another young Sun who has shown improvement in his game is Archie Goodwin. We already knew he had the aggressiveness on court to get in the lane and score or get to the free-throw line. What he’s shown in the Nevada desert is an improved jumpshot that, at times, has been wet. Not to mention center Alex Len, who has shown a propensity for leadership, a dedication to leadership and a true willingness to learn from the coaching staff and his peers.
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It’s not just the Summer Suns that offer an encouraging forecast, though. Having spent time around Eric Bledsoe, his dedication to the game, the city and his teammates is bigger than the biceps that have become his signature. He’s been at the arena working out and offering up advice to the aforementioned Booker, Goodwin and others since early June. He’s also taken his role in the community as seriously as his game, hosting basketball clinics and even spending quality time with Suns fan, and honorary front-office member, Jared Ornoski.
Bledsoe’s backcourt mate Brandon Knight showed his dedication to Phoenix and the team by re-signing faster than he gets up and down the court. He agreed to come back within the first night of free agency and even provided his first unofficial assist when he helped in recruiting Tyson Chandler the same night.
Chandler himself, a savvy veteran who is a quality leader, had more options in free agency than there are cable sports networks and he chose Phoenix. His presence adds much needed balance to the locker room, a defensive anchor and an all-star caliber pick-and-roll partner for Bledsoe and Knight that the Suns haven’t had in years.
The Suns’ front office admitted their flaws last year and they rectified them through the draft and free agency this summer. The West is brutal and nothing will come easy. But even if you’re in a complete Vegas haze, you can tell that the Suns’ future is bright and October can’t get here soon enough.