TKB Scouting Eye- With Ryan Wallace

by Tommy Dee on January 18th, 2012 at 12:51 pm

TKB welcomes Ryan Wallace, who worked for the Knicks’ basketball ops on Matt Harding’s staff for 8 years. Ryan was responsible for compiling data the team would use in scouting reports. Here are his notes on: the Phoenix Suns.

Offense: Run a barrage of pick and rolls with Steve Nash and Marcin Gortat.  Second unit will look to get up and down the court more.

Defense: Bottom third of the league in Steals and Blocks. As a result Phoenix does not generate hardly any easy baskets.

Players

Marcin Gortat: (14.3ppg; 8.9rpg) Marcin has been the Suns most consistent performer so far this season.  This is a direct result of being Steve Nash’s pick and roll partner.  They have developed very good chemistry.  Marcin is also a skilled big that can score on a turnaround jumper or with either hand in the lane.

Steve Nash: (14.2ppg; 10apg) All of the offense runs through Nash.  Has the ball in his hands almost all of the time probing the defense on pick and rolls the whole game.  Would much rather drive the paint to create shots for others then shoot jumpers himself.

Jared Dudley: (11.1ppg) Capable shooter who looks to spot up off of Nash drives.

Shannon Brown: (9.2ppg) Athletic player looks to take up the defensive intensity when he comes in the game off the bench.  Good finisher in transition, but is a streaky shooter.

Markieff Morris: (8.7ppg ; 5.4rpg) Rookie who is very aggressive offensively off the bench.  Looks to post but can also shoot out to the three point line. Very versatile defender.

Grant Hill: (7.9 ppg; 35% fg) Struggling with his shot so far this season.  Still a very capable defender.  Looks to take charges.

Hakim Warrick: (8.1ppg) Versatile defender.

Channing Frye: (7.8ppg; 6.4rpg) Jump shooting big man who is struggling with his shot so far this season.  Leads team in three point attempts but shooting only 31% from downtown.  However he could heat up at anytime.

Robin Lopez: (5.5ppg; 4rpg) Defensive big man who is limited offensively.

Ronnie Price: (5.2ppg) Defensive minded very quick point guard.  Started one game when Nash was unable to go.

Michael Redd: (4.8ppg) Has played 4 games with the Suns since coming back from injury.  Shooting almost 3, three pointers per game in limited minutes.

Keys to Victory

-For the most part teams have been willing to let Gortat run free on the pick and roll and and not switch at all.  Choosing to stay at home on Suns’ three point shooters.  Despite Gortat’s 63% shooting from the field Phoenix is off to a very poor start shooting the ball. It’s imperative to stay at home on the pick and roll and not switch forcing rotations and open shooters.

-The Suns are near the bottom of the league in most defensive categories, and are very thin up front.  Thus you must attack the paint.  Settling for long jumpers against this team could lead to run outs for them and easy baskets they are not used to getting, especially against the second unit.

Notes

-In an NBA.com survey NBA GM’s voted Steve Nash with the highest Basketball IQ in the league.

-Phoenix is shooting 33% from three point land good for 17th in the league.