With their season all but lost already, the Phoenix Suns have spent a large chunk of their year experimenting with things that could play major dividends in the future.
Second-year forward Marquese Chriss has been a huge part of that by etching out a role with this rebuilding Suns team. Chriss has shown flashes of some serious potential, but now he’s getting attention for the wrong reasons. According to ESPN’s Chris Haynes, the Phoenix Suns plan to suspend Chriss for a game due to an argument he got into with an assistant coach:
Phoenix Suns plan to suspend forward Marquese Chriss for a game stemming from a verbal confrontation with an assistant coach, league sources tell ESPN.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 3, 2018
However, that being said, the Suns aren’t exactly calling Chriss’ looming one-game absence a suspension due to it being settled ‘in-house.’ Instead, AZCentral’s Scott Bordow reports that they view it more as a cooling off period.
News: Suns are saying Chriss isn't suspended per se but won't be at Sunday's game. They're describing it as a cooling off period. Chriss was not at practice today. Both McDonough and Triano told me thy're handling it "in house."
— scott bordow (@sbordow) February 3, 2018
Though the prime example of the Suns’ tinkering has been deploying Devin Booker as their starting point guard, Phoenix has also done its due diligence at the power forward spot. Chriss along with fellow sophomore forward Dragan Bender have seen the majority of minutes at the four with veteran Jared Dudley also mixed in.
Though Chriss has typically been the one to earn the starting nod, Bender has also made small strides this year making the future of the Suns’ frontcourt very interesting.
Even with these type of confrontations being common in the NBA, this has to be troubling for Phoenix with a young, impressionable core in place. Pieces such as Josh Jackson, Booker, Bender, and Chriss could use some stability and direction as they continue their careers, something the Suns clearly lack.
