Phoenix Suns forward Marquese Chriss made a lot of headlines recently when news broke out that he had a verbal confrontation with an assistant coach. It has led to the team suspending him for it, but there could be more repercussions for him as a result of disrespecting a member of the coaching staff.
Reports have now been made that head coach Jay Triano is contemplating on keeping Dragan Bender as the team's starting power forward, especially with him playing well of late, according to Craig Grialou of 98.7 FM Arizona Sports. That could mean the end of Chriss' reign as their undisputed starter at the four spot, and will decrease his playing time moving forward, giving him a lesser chance of showing off his improved game.
Triano also weighing whether to start Chriss or keep Bender at power forward; Bender had 18 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast in 27 min in #Suns loss to Hornets
— Craig Grialou (@CraigAZSports) February 5, 2018
The 20-year-old Washington product was the eighth overall pick in the 2016 draft and had a solid rookie campaign for the Suns. It has made him earn the starting nod this season, being part of the first five in 40 out of 46 games he has appeared in so far. However, Bender is slowly showing off his impressive skill set and is beginning to live up to expectations placed on him since last year.
It could be considered a good dilemma for the Suns as their backup power forward is performing well now, but benching Chriss may also take a hit on his confidence level. The situation of the Suns is something worth monitoring, particularly how they handle Chriss' situation to still make him play at his best in each game.
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