First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who went through the grind of reviewing all 18 players on the Phoenix Suns roster and placing each one into a tier. That kind of buy-in is what makes this exercise worth it. It gives us real data points, helps us start forming some assumptions, and gives us a clearer picture of where each player belongs within their tier as we begin to sort out who is “best.”
Everyone has their own definition of what “best” means, and by taking the time to go through the SunsRank
survey, you help compartmentalize these players in a way that makes the next step easier. Did you put someone in the ‘Pillars’ category based on who they are relative to the team’s roster construction moving forward? Or did you put them there because of the statistical impact they had on the team this season? All points of view are welcome in SunsRank. It’s the one time I deviate from my personal method of avoiding terms like “best”, “worst”, or “greatest”.
So let’s get into it. We’re moving into the lowest tier, ‘The Depth Pieces’. I define this tier as “The supporting cast. The ones who fill minutes, plug gaps, and sometimes win a game or two that no one expects. They may not grab headlines, but every season leans on players like these.”
The community put these players here, and the bottom tier consists of six players. So we’ll be ranking players 13 through 18 on the Phoenix Suns’ roster.
The Depth Pieces
Jamaree Bouyea
Jamaree Bouyea, the guy who started the season playing in the Spurs’ G League system who came to Phoenix and forced his way into a two-way contract situation. Respect. 75% of the community voted him into the Depth Pieces tier. Shout out to the 3 people who thought he was worthy of being a Pillar.
Koby Brea
Koby Brea’s rookie year was one of development in the G League, as he saw only 12 games at the NBA level. The kid has a shot on him, and he is certainly somoene who we hope rises from the Depth Piece tier to somethign more meaningful and impactful in years to come.
Let’s look at some Valley Suns numbers, seeing as he spent most of the season in the G League.
Amir Coffey
Coffey arrived in Phoenix from Milwaukee in the trade that sent Nigel Hayes-Davis and Nick Richards out. His playing time wasn’t ample this season with Phoenix, and he didn’t make the impact many believed he would. Not surprisingly, 74% of the community classified him as a Depth Piece. Chances are, as an unrestricted free agent, he won’t be with the team next season.
Haywood Highsmith
Highsmith was a buyout market acquisition and, for someone coming off a meniscus tear, someone we didn’t expect to see much of. And we didn’t. Still, it was a close race to determine which tier he belonged in. 53% voted for the Locksmith to be a Depth Piece, while 40% believbed he was a Wildcard.
CJ Huntley
The rookie who played five years at Appalachian State was a two-way contracted player. Then he wasn’t. Then he was. We didn’t see him much at the NBA level, but he put some work in down in the G.
Let’s look at some Valley Suns numbers, seeing as he spent most of the season in the G League.
Isaiah Livers
I think we all had higher expectations for Livers, but ultimately, we did not see him as much as we expected due to injuries this season. Therefore, he finds himself in the Depth Piece tier.
Now, the fun begins. This is SunsRank comes to life. Fill out the survey and decide who ranks above whom using your interpretation of the words “best” and/or “better”.
