On Saturday, the away Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 114-111 to rewrite the aggregate score to 2-1, with core team core Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton both playing brilliantly, scoring 28 points each, Ayton grabbing 17 rebounds and Paul contributing 14 assists, extending the team's top scorer Devin Booker to a hard-won victory in the absence of the team's top scorer, Devin Booker. In this game, the two teams alternately lead 15 times, and there are 14 draws, if it were not for Paul turning on the scoring mode in the fourth quarter, shooting 7 of 7 from the center, scoring 19 points and 2 assists, the Suns would have faced the embarrassing situation of falling behind 1-2.
With the exception of Paul and Ayton, the Suns' other players were lackluster, combining just 21-of-49 (42.5 percent) and 2-of-19 three-pointers (10.5 percent), so while it was a tough game, the Suns could not have played so hard. In this series, the Suns, which have always flaunted bench strength, have become a major problem for the performance of role players and substitutes, and the second team of this team has not played the same dominance as in the regular season, especially Tory Craig's play is particularly abnormal.
Craig played well after switching to the Suns from the Milwaukee Bucks last season, but he didn't fare well after returning to the team in February, with the Suns bringing back the tall, arm-length wing player from the Indiana Pacers in a trade close this year, and while he has some three-point shooting ability, his role is mainly reflected in the defensive end and increased the rebounding ability of the second team. But it's a pity that Craig has largely failed to replicate the performance he played in 27 regular season games for the Suns last season, with an overall plus-minus of just a dismal -42 in 23 games this season, especially after four games from March 13-18, where Craig averaged only 5.7 points per game and shot only 26.8 percent from three-point range.
Then Craig didn't improve in the playoffs either, scoring 0 points in the 29 minutes he played for the Suns, and while the Suns didn't need him to contribute on the offensive end, the defensive role they expected didn't play out. In three games, his defensive rating in the playoffs was only 136.5, the net rating was -27, and the stadium plus-minus was -17, all three of which were the worst on the team.
So if Craig were to go back to the water dispenser, what options would head coach Monty Williams and the Suns have to replace his playing time and turn that time into beneficial stats? I think Ish Waynelet is a good choice. The Suns gave the 28-year-old 17-year-old draft a two-way deal before the season began, allowing him to fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA by picking up trash time, but as the season progressed, he showed an ability to bring an attitude and presence to the court when called by the coach, as well as a certain three-point ability.
Wayne Wright made 45 appearances for the Suns at the end of the regular season, averaging 2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, shooting 32.2 percent from three-point range, and while these are not very impressive stats, it's worth noting that his field plus-minus this season is +39, largely due to his 20 points in 25 minutes against the Clippers at the end of the season and a plus-minus on +36 courts.
One of the benefits of playing for a team like the Phoenix Suns with a lot of injuries is that everyone has the opportunity to play, execute team tactics and win playing time, and Wayne Wright not only did all of that, but also got a formal contract at the end of the season to catch the last train of the Suns' playoffs, for which the Suns also cut big forward Frank Kaminsky.
Wayne Wright may not have the same experience as Craig, but in the 10 minutes of each game, his physical talent should have a positive effect on the team, and his height of 1.95 meters and 113 kilograms of strong body are definitely a boost to the Suns' rebounding and defense. The Suns' benches have only grabbed 25 rebounds in three playoff games, including Craig just 1 and pelicans 34 benches.
Lacking defense and rebounding, Craig went straight to the playoffs as invisible, having no impact on either offense or defense, and that was an absolutely intolerable situation in the big playoffs. So the Suns need to make adjustments in game four.
Maybe Wayne Wright isn't the final answer, and Coach Monti may either extend Cameron Johnson's playing time or have veteran Bismarck Biyombo replace Craig. Whatever monti takes, making adjustments is a must, the numbers don't lie, and it's time to revisit the bench and let Wayne Wright into the team's rotation.