The Phoenix Suns have had one spot left on the team since the trade deadline, and it was always expected that they would dip back into the buyout market, in order to get another player for their playoffs playoffs.
Who made the news Shams Charania of The Athletic so surprising on Saturday, when he revealed that the Suns would bring point guard Isaiah Thomas into the fold on a 10 day contract. It’s no secret that Thomas has worked hard to get back into the league, and no one could blame him for another opportunity.
Obviously, this is only a 10-day deal, and so panicking over this roster move would be an overreaction. Thomas could be gone as quickly as he arrived, and it will be nothing more than a strange oddity in a Suns season that has plenty of talking points.
Then again, Thomas is 35 years old and was undersized for his position even when he was an All-Star between 2015 and 2017 with the Boston Celtics. There may be a feel-good element to all of this, but the last thing the Suns need right now is good vibes. As shown by letting the Milwaukee Bucks hang 82 points in one half in a loss on Sunday, what they really need is more defense.
The Suns gave up 82 points in the first half.
The Bucks shot 66.7% from 3 points (18-27). 18 Threes ties an NBA record for most Threes in a half.
The Suns shot 23.1% from 3-point range (3-13) pic.twitter.com/m2uzRWtBxn
– Mr. Az (@MrAzSports) March 17, 2024
Which Thomas won’t provide, and head coach Frank Vogel isn’t exactly the type of guy to rely on what Thomas can provide either. Wouldn’t that final roster spot have been better served by bringing in a player with some defensive value – even if it was only for 10 days initially – just to see if he could provide a spark?
The Los Angeles Lakers did this last season with Stanley Johnson, signing him for a couple of 10 days before letting him stay beyond that time. Johnson is a point guard, but he’s also only 27 years old now and was known to be an above-average defender for his position. Everything the Suns look like they could use right now.
In reality, the franchise should have looked for a defensive-minded player who could play a completely different position. As we reviewed recentlyThe need for different options at the backup center position is more urgent right now, with Drew Eubanks a limited player and Bol Bol not a conventional big by any measure.
Following. 3 Suns who will be left out of the team’s playoff rotation. 3 Suns who will be left out of the team’s playoff rotation. dark
Besides, didn’t Coach Vogel recently say that the Suns don’t need a point guard because the combination of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal works so well? Which is the case, the only problem has been keeping both on the field. Maybe Thomas’ idea on this roster is to help eliminate turnovers, a subject that Coach Vogel has no interest in discussing.
But taking care of the ball is one of many problems the Suns have right now, and an over-the-hill and smaller-than-most floor general hanging around for a week and a half won’t solve that problem. Or any problem really, which makes this signing a curious one that doesn’t fit the organization’s current situation. It might improve the vibes, but this group needs a lot more than that to be successful.
