SB Nation Arizona - Suns Media Day: Marcin Gortat Ready For Action

Phoenix Suns Preseason Grades: Gentry Sees Slim Margin For Error

2011-12-23T18:02:06Z

The Phoenix Suns finished their preseason with two disappointing blowout losses to the Denver Nuggets. There was plenty to be concerned about from the Suns as coach Alvin Gentry expressed after Thursday's loss when he repeated a phrase we hard frequently last season.

"We've got to get everyone playing at a real high level," Gentry said Thursday. "Our margin for error is not great."

There were also several bright spots from the preseason. In this slim margin for error environment, we'll have to hang our hats on these positives to avoid spiraling down into a pit of despair or even worse, fall into the apathy trap that comes from extended periods of mediocrity with no hope for improvement.

In the first preseason game on the road, things fell apart in the first half as the Suns turnovers and poor defensive rebounding led to an insurmountable 63-49 deficit by the intermission.

In the second game, the Nuggets didn't play three of their key guys (Nene, Ty Lawson and Al Harrington) and were still able to put the Suns away with a 16-3 run to open the fourth quarter.

The preseason really isn't too much about team play for a veteran group like Phoenix. Player rotations are much different than we'll see in the regular season and plays aren't even always called late in games.

What matters more from preseason and the entire training camp is individual evaluations. Here's ours for the Suns.

Breaking the Bank

These guys stood out in the preseason by playing above expectations or at least proving they could meet them.

Markieff Morris: The Suns 13th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft was said to be a well-rounded player who could do a little of everything on the basketball court. He had a reputation for being a tough kid with a great motor to go along with those skills. All of that was on display which is very encouraging.

Morris finished the two preseason games with 11 points, 7.5 rebounds, and two blocks per game. He also fouled out of both contests playing less than 30 minutes.

The rookie showed a bit of everything offensively and certainly wasn't bashful about getting his shot off. He also made rookie mistakes, especially on defense, and has a lot to learn about the NBA game and officiating. One thing he's not shown us yet is if he can be an effective finisher working with Steve Nash on the pick and roll.

Overall, it seems very likely that Morris will be a positive contributor to the team this season perhaps playing about 17 minutes per game and on occasion having big scoring nights. His rebounding and defensive effort should be a constant and he'll likely show good progress throughout the season.

With Marcin Gortat dealing with a broken thumb, we could see more Morris early in the season than planned.

Video: Markieff Morris after preseason Game 2

Robin Lopez: Robin came back from the break with a refreshed and healthy body and has returned to his old level of athleticism from before the 2010 back injury. On the very first day of the season, he demonstrated a new positive attitude and he's been a bright spot all through camp.

While Lopez is probably several seasons away from become a consistent scoring threat and his rebounding numbers will likely still lag behind expectations, his mobility and defensive presence will be important for the Suns. Despite having an off shooting night (1-6 from the field), Lopez finished Thursday's game with the best plus/minus differential of any Suns player.

Video: Robin Lopez on the first day back from the lockout

Hakim Warrick: Warrick came into the season as the guy most likely to get edged out of the front court rotation. His defense and rebounding last season made it difficult to play him at power forward and he's struggled in the past defending wing players.

Warrick's best chance for playing time is to provide a scoring punch off the bench and he did that with 14.5 points in the two preseason games which led the Suns. Hakim was consistently effective from mid-range and showed off his abilities in the post and on the pick and roll. If Warrick continues to play at this level, it will be hard to keep him on the bench despite his defensive challenges.

Jared Dudley: Jared Dudley didn't do anything in the preseason we hadn't seen before but it was great to see him back and looking very comfortable in a starting roll. As a starting two guard, Dudley will have a size advantage in the post and has shown he still has the ability to play with his back to the basket (he was a power forward in college).

Dudley is still one of the smartest players in the league and always seems to be in the right place defensively. He can struggle guarding quicker guys in isolation but makes up for that in other ways.

Video: Jared Dudley after preseason Game 2

Making the Grade

These are the guys who are who we thought they were.

Steve Nash: Nash is still Nash and there's no reason to think he won't start the season very strong and finish at or near the top of the assists category in the league. His shot was on in Denver for the first game (5-7) and off on Thursday (2-9). His ability to shoot consistently this season will be huge for the Suns and in the past it's his outside shot that's suffered when his body isn't right.

As you expect with a vet like Nash, the preseason didn't tell us anything we didn't already know.

Video: Nash on the first day back after the lockout

Grant Hill: Hill didn't play in the first preseason game due to a sore knee and didn't put up big numbers in 25 minutes of the second game. Gentry has hinted that he will try and keep Grant at about 20 minutes per game but as we know, when the bullets start flying it's very difficult to keep this guy on the bench. He could start the season slow and there will certainly be nights where the schedule gets to his 39-year-old body, but overall, Grant is still Grant.

Marcin Gortat: Gortat looked good in the first preseason game but missed the second with a broken thumb that's going to hamper him, especially shooting, for the first month or so of the season. It's too soon to say how much improvement Gortat will show over last year but even if he's "only" the same guy, the Suns will need his rebounding and scoring.

Video: Marcin Gortat talking about his thumb injury

Ronnie Price: Price is living up to his reputation as a gritty defensive player who's athletic but not particularly skilled as a point guard. He seemingly has jumped over Sebastian Telfair as the primary back up to Nash. With Price in the game Thursday, the Suns ran pick and roll with Shannon Brown handling the ball or went into the post. While Price will likely not be the guy running the offensive show, his defense should keep him on the floor. His tough mentality has impressed the coaching staff and will win the hearts of many fans.

Shannon Brown: Shannon Brown is still adjusting to the Suns system. Some guys come to Phoenix and aren't used to shooting so they are too timid. Other guys come to Phoenix and hear the "green light" and shoot too much. So far, Brown has fallen into that later category. He is skilled and can get his shot off at times, but we're looking for him to play more in the flow of the offense. There's no reason to think he won't do that once the regular season starts.

Falling short

These are the guys who didn't make the grade.

Josh Childress: Childress is going to be asked to play a bigger role this season backing up Grant Hill. So far in preseason he still doesn't look like he's in sync.

Gentry was very candid talking about what Childress needs to do, "He's got to be a little more active, I think with what his approach is, and I think he's got to create some situations with offensive rebounds and things like that and then he's got to get out and run."

If Childress isn't getting it done, the Suns could push him back to the bench and play Dudley and Brown together more.

Sebastian Telfair: Bassy was brought in to be more of a pure point playing behind Nash off the bench. His four turnovers in the first preseason game moved him behind Price and he only saw six minutes of garbage time action in the second game. Telfair might need more time to adjust before figuring it out with the Suns, but his preseason campaign has not been encouraging.

Channing Frye: Frye is 1-14 in two preseason games with a total of eight rebounds. That's not going to get it done and he knows it. But we're not too worried about Frye. He's been consistent in his two years with the Suns and proven how important he is to the team. The effort is there and we expect Channing will be fine once things get going, but his preseason left a lot to be desired. Frye said Thursday night he's been playing with too much emotion and just needs to dial in the right level so he's not putting so much pressure on himself with each shot.

Other

Garret Siler: Garret Siler really didn't show anything more than we saw last season. He's fairly skilled around the rim and a big body but still not all that mobile. He's a good guy to have on the roster but is not likely to contribute much this season.

Marcus Landry: Marcus Landry is a solid practice player with upside. Like his brother Carl, he's very tough and works extremely hard. He's a more perimeter-oriented version of Gani Lawal and could make the team to provide depth and be a solid guy on the practice floor.

For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Marcin Gortat Ready To Unleash His Own 'Dream Shake'

2011-12-16T23:19:47Z

Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat had an interesting offseason. He originally tried to play for his national team in the 2011 Eurobasket Tournament but was unable to compete for Poland due to insurance issues. He later came close to signing with a team in Turkey just weeks before the NBA lockout ended. But before the lockout even began, the Phoenix Suns sent Marcin to spend some quality time with Hakeem Olajuwon to work on his low post game.

Gortat said that Hakeem had 100's of moves and that he managed to pick up a "couple of them". He hopes to use some of that improve skill this season, "We're going to have 66 games in the season so hopefully I'm going to be able to show what I can do."

The focus for Marcin, however, remains his defense and rebounding. Physically, he wants to get stronger in his lower back and continue to rely on what's made him successful so far -- heart and determination.

When Gortat arrived in Phoenix he fell into the rotation behind Robin Lopez but by the end of the year, he had secured both the starting job and the majority of the minutes. Lopez, who's been widely praised for his offseason improvement, sounds like he's going to battle Gortat for floor time.

"He's definitely better right now," Gortat said of his fellow center. "Physically, he get stronger. He got more confidence. He kind of hungry of playing. He wants to have the ball in his hands. It's good. It's going to help us. We're going to compete for the job and I'm looking forward (to it)."

Gortat prides himself on defense and was outspoken at times last season when the Suns weren't getting it done on that end of the floor. We've heard a lot this training camp about the renewed commitment to get stops but we've also heard coach Alvin Gentry temper expectations, especially for early in the season.

One reason to be patient is the changes the team is making with their defensive scheme with the arrival of new "defensive coordinator", Elston Turner.

From the defensive stand point, Gortat said this feels like his third NBA team due to the changes, "Obviously, Orlando first. Last year (with the Suns) second. And this year, everything is totally different. We'll see how it works during this season. I believe those changes are good for us. There's a lot of new rotations. I'm kind of familiar with everything we do because we had similar in Orlando, but end of the day, the results will show if we are better or not."

The Arizona Cardinals went through a very similar process this year. They hired hired a new defensive coordinator (Ray Horton) and also lost a lot of offseason prep time due to a lockout. The Cardinals defense struggled early in the season but by Week 9 of the NFL season, Arizona emerged as one of the better defenses in the league. Can the Suns do the same?

For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Here's some video from media day, including Wil from Bright Side of the Sun who looks a bit too much like Marcin Gortat:

Phoenix Suns Update: Gentry Wants More Post Play, Sees Improvement From Lopez

2011-12-15T20:32:04Z

The Phoenix Suns are one evening practice away from the end of their training camp and with the Wednesday night scrimmage in the books we are starting to get a better sense of what head coach Alvin Gentry wants to accomplish this season.

Improvement on defense is a well-known and chronicled focus area. Supporting that is the need to rebound on the defensive end and not turn that ball over. On offense, however, we got a glimpse of one possible change -- more post play from the bigs. Then again, we've heard that in training camp before as well.

This time, however, the Suns centers each spent time in Houston with Hakeem Olajuwon, who Gentry said had the best footwork of anyone who's played the game.

"You can see some of it out here, especially with Robin (Lopez). I think he's done a good job," Gentry said when asked if he's seen any benefits the time with Hakeem. "Those guys seem a lot more comfortable catching in that mid-post area now and being able to make moves."

Gentry went on to explain his thinking about low post offense this season:

"I think we have to do that with all of our bigs. We've got to throw it in to Marcin (Gortat), we've got to throw it in to Channing (Frye), and we've got to throw it in to Robin (Lopez). That is one of the ways you get into a bonus situation and the only way that we can get our free throw percentage back up is that we get in the bonus a little bit earlier in the quarters."

Steve Nash also praised Lopez for how he's looked in camp, "I thought a lot of guys played well (in the scrimmage), the energy overall was good. I'm really happy with Robin (Lopez). I think Robin's taken a big step from last year. He looks physically great and he looks hungry. He's playing hard. I thought everyone had a pretty decent night."

Hakim Warrick at small forward?

Hakim Warrick could be squeezed out of the rotation at forward with Gortat and Lopez splitting time at center and Frye and possibly Markieff Morris playing the four (power forward). Warrick played quite a bit early in the season last year and proved to be a powerful pick and roll partner for Nash, but his rebounding and defensive issues due to his small frame make it difficult to play him extended minutes at the four.

This year, Gentry might try and use Warrick at small forward where he would have a size advantage and not be so easily pushed around by bigger players. A key to that is Warrick's ability to shoot from the perimeter.

So far in camp, Gentry said Hakim has shot the ball well. He went 5-7 from the field in Wednesday's scrimmage which he said is the result of being more comfortable with his role and the work he put in this offseason.

"One of the things we talked about is being able to stick him at three (small forward) a little bit so we're a really big team. We'll experiment with that a little bit," Gentry said.

It remains to be seen if Warrick will have the foot speed to defend the small forward position on a consistent basis.

Markieff Morris update

Markieff Morris sat out Thursday's morning practice with a sore knee suffered when he banged into Ronnie Price on Tuesday. He was up shooting around after practice, however, and could go during the evening workout.

Asked if this injury during camp would hurt his development, Gentry said, "We'll have to see the growing pains he goes through and see if he can get back from this quickly or is it just going to be a situation where it's going to be a slow process and we've just got to have the patience to understand that."

Gentry said it's hard to know how much Morris will contribute this season, "I don't think anyone knows. Obviously, that would be great if that would happen but if it didn't happen I don't see him as a failure. He's going to be a good player and it's just a matter of how quickly we can get him to that point."

"He's a Philly guy. I'm not sure if anybody is tough enough to ask him that," Gentry said when asked if Morris was having to carry bags and bring doughnuts as part of his rookie hazing.

Other scrimmage notes

Offensively, Gentry thought the Suns did some good things but there's growing pains defensively around being in the right place and "doing what we're supposed to do". The offense flowed well with good shots and unselfish play.

"I thought the effort was there though. Good effort and it's just a matter it becoming instinctive to us defensively. I love the effort, and like I said, as long as we play with that kind of effort we can correct all the other things," Gentry said.

The key takeaways for improvement will sound very familiar to Suns fans: Better defensive rebounding and limiting what Gentry calls "live turnovers" that lead to easy transition points.

"We've got to make sure we're not turning the ball over. That becomes really important because when we do, obviously it makes the field goal percentage go up dramatically when you're (giving up) layups," he said.

Right now, those turnovers can be explained by guys not having played together but some were just careless and unforced.

Here's a Gentry quote about Wednesday's scrimmage that easily could have been lifted from most any time last season:

"We can't play 24 seconds of really good defense and then all of a sudden not complete the possession by giving the ball back and then have to play another 24 (seconds). That's what will get you in trouble."

Steve Nash skipped Thursday's morning practice with flu symptoms. Knowing Nash, this is not likely to be a case of "training camp flu". Lets just hope he didn't infect anyone else on the team (or media who spoke with him Wednesday night).

For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook. For more Suns discussion, visit Bright Side of the Sun.

Here's a bonus video produced by Bright Side featuring new Suns guard, Sebastian Telfair:

Phoenix Suns Training Camp Scrimmage: Brown Delivers, Lopez And Warrick Shine

2011-12-15T16:45:00Z

The Phoenix Suns held their intra-squad scrimmage on Wednesday night at the Grand Canyon University Arena in front of a select group of season ticket holders and students from GCU. The event was fully produced by the Suns Game Ops staff which meant plenty of music, videos, dancers and T-shirt tossing.

The game itself was what you might expect from a scrimmage. There were a few scripted plays and a lot of isolation. Steve Nash's team won 68-61 but mostly that was due to an early lead. The other team in the black jerseys were led by Shannon Brown (16 points, 7-15 FG) who who stood out.

"It felt good and I'm still getting used getting back to the old me where I feel like I can score the ball at any time without thinking about it or, 'I should have made that pass. I should have did this. I'm about to come out of the game.' or something like that. It just feels good. It's slowly but surely coming back," Brown said after the game.

Brown did take some flack for missing a wide-open dunk. He said he got in the air was thinking too much about which hand he was going to windmill the ball with. It's a problem we all struggle with at times.

Other stand outs included Robin Lopez (12 points, 6 rebounds) and Hakim Warrick ( 11 points). Warrick showed more confidence with his outside shot. He's always been a decent mid-range shooter but last season with the Suns was streaky.

"It's something I've got to be more consistent," Warrick said about his shooting. "It's something I've been working on and (Wednesday) I really, really had it going. I'll continue to work on it, feel more confident with the system, knowing where to be and getting used to my teammates, knowing where I'm going to get my shots. I was able to go and work on that in the offseason and really got my confidence up."

Here's a few more breakdowns of the game:

Phoenix Suns Team Scrimmage Game Recap: Suns Win! - Bright Side Of The Sun
The match-ups tonight included the Black Team (Steve Nash, Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat, Channing Frye, Josh Childress, Marcus Landry, and Ronnie Price) verses the White Team (Grant Hill, Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick, Shannon Brown, Sebastian Telfair, Garrett Siler, Dwight Buycks, and Jeremy Hazell).

The end result was a score of 68-61 (don't worry, it was only a 40 minute game) in which the black team won...but overall, we the fans were the real winners after finally getting to see our team back in live action again after a very long eight month hiatus!

And from a fantasy perspective...

Fantasy Basketball CP3 Analysis and Summary of Suns Scrimmage - FakeTeams
Phoenix Suns Intra-squad Scrimmage Notes Let's just attack this for each player:

For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Mickael Pietrus Headed Back To Phoenix This Week But Won't Stay Long

2011-12-14T17:56:47Z

Phoenix Suns fans have been wondering all week, "Where in the world is Mickael Pietrus?" Pietrus, you will recall was traded from the Suns to Toronto only to see the deal fall through after concerns about his knee came up during his physical with the Raptors. Since that happened on Saturday, we've not heard from the french swingman with the big smile -- until now.

According to his agent Bill McCandless, as reported by Wendell Maxey, Pietrus has been in Ottawa, Canada waiting on a visa to return to the United States. He's expected back with the Suns on Thursday where he can continue his rehab with the Suns training staff.

But don't expect him to stay very long:

Over and Back: Mickael Pietrus Still On The Move After Failed Deal With Toronto Raptors

"I think he is on the move. The idea is for Phoenix to trade him," continued McCandless, with Suns’ head coach Alvin Gentry having to juggle minutes for Grant Hill, Josh Childress, Jared Dudley and the newly signed Shannon Brown.

"That is Plan A. Lon, MP and I are partners in getting him ready so people are confident he will play 61 of the 66 games, rather than 49 of the 66 games this season. He thinks he can play. Players know their bodies."

McCandless remains optimistic that Pietrus will recover quickly and be ready to start playing by Christmas or the New Year. What remains to be seen is what uniform he will be wearing. It doesn't seem likely that it will be Purple and Orange.

For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Phoenix Suns Welcome Ronnie Price For His Defense, His History Of 'Problems With Lakers' Can't Hurt Either

2011-12-14T05:35:37Z

Late Monday night, Ronnie Price got word that he would be joining the Phoenix Suns. By 6:30 a.m. the next morning he was an airplane to Arizona. After taking his physical during the day, he was on the court with his new team for their evening practice session. Price was happy to be with his new team.

"I'm very thankful and fortunate that I have the opportunity to play for this organization and I'm looking forward to getting on the court and competing with these guys," Price said Tuesday evening.

After just one practice session, coach Alvin Gentry commented on the defensive intensity Price brings. He takes pride in his defense and enjoys checking both guard positions but what brought him to Phoenix over other options was the offensive style of play.

"This is a playing style that I've always wanted to be a part of. They really get up and down the floor and it's something that I wanted to do," Price said.

According to the newest Suns' point guard, every NBA player that can play the game should have a chance to make things happen in this offense.

Price will join Sebastian Telfair in a rotation behind Steve Nash. GM Lance Blanks explained how the two guards each bring something different to the floor:

"Bassy (Sebastian Telfair) fits into what I would call more of a traditional role and style of point guard where he's going to run the offense. He handles the ball extremely well, he can find people in the open floor. When you look at Price, this is a guy who is extremely athletic, can get to the rim, and he's going to be able to guard people from baseline to baseline."

The combination of Telfair and Price will give Coach Gentry different options for different situations according to Blanks.

One thing Suns fans will appreciate from Price is his animosity towards the Los Angeles Lakers. Price spent four years with the Utah Jazz and in three of those years his team was eliminated from the playoffs by L.A.

"I made that very clear," Price said when asked about his lack of fondness of the Lakers. Then he looked around for his new teammate, Shannon Brown who played for the hated Lakers.

"So yeah, I've had some problems with the Lakers," Price added. "Probably most of my technical fouls have been against the Lakers but you know, it's all part of competition. You want to beat the best and compete against the best. That's why I made those comments."

Suns camp notes:

Gentry said the team was still getting used to new pick and roll coverage schemes. The shooting is poor right now because the team is not basketball shape. That's typical for training camp.

Hakim Warrick and Robin Lopez were both singled out by Gentry for praise. In the portion of practice we watched, Warrick seemed energetic and was hitting outside shots. Lopez looked far more fluid and explosive than we saw last year. He also seemed more confident and relaxed on the court. It's just one practice but it will be interesting to see how he looks in Wednesday's intra-squad scrimmage as well.

Rookie Markieef Morris bumped knees with Price and sat out a portion of practice. Gentry said he never missed a practice in during his time in Kansas. "I think it scared him more than anything...He seemed to be OK. I'm sure it's going to be a little sore."

Josh Childress jammed a finger nail back in to the nail bed. He came off the floor, had it taped and finished practice. Here's a picture he tweeted out of the finger.

Unlike other wing players who've come to the Suns, Shannon Brown doesn't seem to be shy about shooting the ball according to his coach.

Here's video of Alvin Gentry talking to the media after practice.

For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Phoenix Suns Training Camp: Rookie Markieff Morris Has NBA Range; Gentry Walking A Fine Line

2011-12-13T23:44:19Z

The Phoenix Suns are on their fourth day of training camp. They are working hard with two-a-days and doing everything they can to prepare for the season. Like every other team in the league, the NBA lockout cut into the normal preparation time but the Suns are dealing with that.

One challenge the coaching and training staff is facing with the abbreviated preseason is finding the balance between pushing the players to get into basketball shape but not pushing too hard.

"There's a fine line between going a little bit overboard and having a set back and slowly but surely making sure you're in better shape," Coach Alvin Gentry explained.

He stressed that the Suns have a good group of guys that came back in "pretty good shape anyway".

As Gentry said, the Suns have one of the best training staffs in the league (he actually said they are by far the best) and so they will certainly do everything possible to keep the players healthy and get them prepared for play.

Team scrimmage

The Suns typically hold an intra-squad scrimmage at the end of training camp that is open to the public. It's a training session but also is a bit of fun. This year with less time available the scrimmage will take on a slightly different role.

"We don't have that luxury really to pick a team and have a scrimmage. We've got to try and see if we can get some work out of it and see if we can see some things that might be beneficial to us when we go to Denver and play the first preseason game," Gentry said.

The scrimmage, which is closed to the public this year, will be held Wednesday evening and will have 10 minute quarters with seven or eight players on each team.

Instead of having a "draft" with an assistant coaching running each side, one team will be made up of guys projected to start and be in the rotation going against the rest of the training camp roster. Assistant coaches Dan Majerle and Igor Kokoskov will each coach one team while Gentry and new assistant, Elston Turner, will observe all the action.

Turner was added to the coaching staff to help bolster the Suns defense. Gentry stressed that while he expects the team to get better on defense this year, it's not something that's going to happen overnight. "I think you're going to see progress as the season goes on."

Rookie Markieff Morris

Suns rookie Markieff Morris is making progress and adjusting to life in the NBA. He said the practices are more intense than college but also there's more teaching here.

Morris said the schemes and rotations are more complicated than he's used to but he's working his way through that. At Kansas, the bigs played more inside on defense but here he'll be asked to play on the perimeter more and defend guards on switches. The Suns drafted Morris in part because of his mobility and effectiveness in that area.

Offensively, he's spacing the floor more than playing in the low post when partnered with with centers Robin Lopez or Marcin Gortat but he is down low when on the court with Channing Frye. That versatility and ability to play both inside and outside also makes him a valuable player.

Asked if he had range from the NBA three-point line, Morris said, "Definitely. It's really deep but once I get a lot more reps up, I'll be comfortable with it."

Morris is close to his twin brother Marcus who was drafted by the Houston Rockets and this will be the first time they are not on the same team. That's not a bad thing, though, "I need this time to find myself and find my game so I think it's best for us."

For more on the Phoenix Suns, visit Bright Side of the Sun blog.

For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Ronnie Price Signed By Phoenix Suns, Adds Defense And Hops

2011-12-13T16:15:49Z

The Phoenix Suns will reportedly add veteran backup guard Ronnie Price to the team according to Hoops World. Price is said to be signing a one-year deal with the Suns as soon as Tuesday afternoon.

UPDATE: The Phoenix Suns officially announced signing Price at about 11:00 a.m. Tuesday.

Ronnie Price is a 6-2 combo guard who played the last four years with the Utah Jazz as the backup to Deron Wiilliams. He's known for being athletic and a strong, aggressive defender but his point guard and shooting skills are limited according to ESPN's player profile:

Ronnie Price Hollinger Stats - ESPN
Price also had the worst shooting percentage among point guards at a ghastly 35.2 percent, and the worst true shooting percentage too. Needless to say, his PER was the worst at the position and very nearly the worst in the league...

Defensively, Price had his moments. He pressures the ball, can guard bigger players and is very athletic...

The signing of Price replaces backup guard Zabian Dowdell who was waived by the Suns Tuesday morning. Dowdell spent most of last season on the roster as the third point guard and is also known for his defense but is perhaps more of a "pure point" than Price when it comes to running the offense.

Dowdell missed the start of Suns' training camp with a knee injury which seems to have come at a very bad time for him.

Price, 28, was undrafted out of Utah Valley State College and got his first NBA contract from the Sacramento Kings. He played for the Kings for two years before spending the next four with the Jazz. He recently told the media in Salt Lake City that he wanted to stay in Utah but they apparently were ready for a change.

He was described by the the Salt Lake Tribune as being, "Well-liked by his longtime friends and former teammates, a quiet-but-strong leader in the locker room, and a proven commodity on the hardwood..."

Price is a career 30 percent three-point shooter who averaged 3.6 points and 1.3 assists in six years as an NBA pro.

Price would compete for minutes with Sebastian Telfair. Telfair would seem to be more of a pure point who can push the ball and run the offense while Price is bigger, more athletic and a better defender. The combination of the two would give the Suns options behind Steve Nash depending on match-ups.

Price would bring more athleticism and NBA experience, including 28 playoff games, than Dowdell.

Here's a scouting report on Price from SB Nation's Utah Jazz blog, SLC Dunk:

Let's start with the down side. Ronnie Price is a phenomenal athletic talent that happens to play basketball. You'll probably be frustrated with his decisions and play. He had one of the worst PERs in the league last season with players over 700 minutes. You'll have one to two highlights per game surrounded by some otherwise lackluster play.

However, he will be an instant fan favorite. He's a self-proclaimed Laker-hater. He was one of the only Jazz players that made a difference in the playoffs against the Lakers the past few seasons. In fact, Jerry Sloan admitted later that he should have played Price more. You'll never question his dedication or effort on the floor. He's a fantastic person off the court as well and will be great in the locker room.

I don't think he's as bad as last year's stats would indicate. He was injured for most of the second half of the season but has been reliable in the past. He's been played at the PG spot and at the SG, neither of which is ideal for him. I think he can have a bounce back year and be more in line with his career averages.

Here's a look at Price's athleticism: