When the Phoenix Suns went after, then won the bidding for Isaiah Thomas last summer, the question was always fit. They already had an interesting backcourt with Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe, plus they were trying to fit Gerald Green into the mix. Thomas is a good player and the Suns wanted to play fast and small but seemed to be overkill.
Turns out it was. Sure, the Suns are a solid team at 29-25 (the eight seed in the West) and Thomas is averaging15.2 points a game off the bench. However, the Suns have struggled in close games, in part because their three-guard lineups have the team playing small and good players are getting quality looks over them in crunch time.
Suns GM Ryan McDonough admitted the roster was guard heavy on Arizona Sports radio Wednesday.“I think our roster balance is a little off, and that’s my fault,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough told Burns and Gambo on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Wednesday. “We are a little too backcourt heavy, especially in terms of guys who, you know, I think you’d define primarily as scorers in the backcourt.
“So I think at some point we’ll need to balance that out, try to get a little more size, a little more frontcourt scoring and rebounding.”
The Suns are 3-7 in their last 10 and go into the All-Star break just half a game ahead of surging Oklahoma City. The Suns look like once again they will finish with 45 or more wins only to miss the playoffs in the stacked West.
Could a trade change that? Sure. Teams are calling about Goran Dragic in particular, but the Suns are demanding at least a good first round pick. It can be hard to get value at the trade deadline (especially with Dragic becoming a free agent this summer, so teams can just bid on him then).
McDonough admitted making a deal will be difficult.
