Suns prepared for growing pains with youthful roster
The Phoenix Suns morning practice at Northern Arizona University during the early days of training camp had drawn to a close and the players were going through their cool down routine before talking with reporters.
But, before the breakout, the Suns' veterans had a gift to welcome their rookies to the league: Disney backpacks. The pink and blue book bags usually worn by elementary school children looked out of place on the backs of professional athletes preparing for an NBA season.
As the rookies gathered to check each other's new gear, the veterans announced to them they need to keep the backpacks with them during games, and would be fined if they are caught without it. Tyler Ulis, the former Kentucky Wildcat drafted in the second round, had his own thoughts on the rookie initiation.
"Some days I might take the fine, depends on how I'm feeling," he said.
The Suns will be starting the season Wednesday with three rookies on the 15-man roster: Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss and Ulis. They are seen as the next wave in the youth movement the organization is investing in to go along with Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, Brandon Knight and Alex Len.
Bender, the 7-foot-1 forward from Croatia drafted with the Suns' No. 4 pick, draws the most intrigue as many fans are drawing parallels to New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis. He has a bit of experience playing professionally in Israel for the Maccabi Tel Aviv, helping them repeat as the Israeli State Cup Champions.
He said he expects to take his lumps as a first-year pro, but he'll lean on his prior professional experience and the veterans. He is also excited about facing players he was watching on TV just a short time ago.
"It's always tough to go through the rookie season, but I'm just looking forward for workouts with these guys and gaining experience this first year," he said. "A couple of months ago, I was looking at these guys on television, and right now I'm going to play with them on the court."
Coach Earl Watson said he does not play favorites among the rookies; they have all had their up-and-down moments in practice. But he had high praise for Bender's ability to facilitate the offense during scrimmages.
"Playmaking for him, you see that immediately the playmaking off the dribble and the passing. His shot is going to come," Watson said. "We look forward to him taking strides throughout the season."
Watson is impressed with how Chriss, the former Washington Huskie selected eighth in the draft, is hustling around the floor and asserting himself offensively. Maybe a bit too much in dunking.
"You see Marquese taking strides, you see him knocking down shots, being aggressive making plays at the rim," he said. "One thing he can get better at is not trying to dunk the ball so hard, he has to choose his moments."
Chriss said he has been using training camp to work on all the aspects of his game to bolster his athleticism and become more than just a dunker. He cannot wait to get out on the court for the season and test himself against the best in the league.
"I want to see how I do, hoping for the best," he said.
His thoughts fall in line with a mindset Watson has been trying to instill in the rookies, something he believes will help them deal with the ups and downs that come with an 82-game season.
"Unconditional confidence, so no matter what, stay confident," Watson said. "You can't be swayed by emotions. Just being confident."
Watson is pleased with what he sees so far in the new blood, but his experience has taught him the success won't be overnight; the rookies will go through their process.
"We have a great set of rookies and their journey is going to be different for each player," he said. "We embrace that, we understand that. We're always supportive and we love those guys so they're doing well."
