For the second this month, forward EJ Liddell is on the move, with the 6-foot-7, 240-pound forward out of Ohio State being sent to the Phoenix Suns for David Roddy not even three weeks after being acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans by the Atlanta Hawks.
For the Suns, a team light on assets but in need of two-way support around their Big 3, this is a quality addition, as Liddell was a solid shooter in college, topping out at 37.4 percent from deep during his stand-out 2021-22 season and while he hasn't made a 3 as a pro over his eight games played last season, the 23-year-old could see an uptick in playing time in 2024 on a Phoenix team with legitimate questions on the wings in terms of long-term offensive firepower.
And as for Roddy? Well, he just walked to AZ Central about how shooting 3s could be the difference between sitting on the bench this fall and joining Mike Budenholzer's rotation last week, so even as the newest member of the Hawks, it's safe to say his assertion still stands.
“He wants all of us to shoot and promotes it actually… Just reading the offense and kind of slowing down and knowing my pace and knowing where I can shoot it and what the best option is,” David Roddy told AZ Central. “For me, again, it's still a constant learning curve, but just trying to understand that and let it go and just trying to trust the work.”
Will Liddell be able to succeed where Roddy ultimately failed? Or will the former Colorado forward prove the better player this year in Atlanta, proving that an offseason working on his shot was, in fact, the best use of his practice time? Either way, this is a very interesting player swap indeed for players on different timelines, even if neither is guaranteed to be more than a 10th man earning occasional spot-up duties this fall.
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