The Phoenix Suns have come under fire thanks to another terrible season and rumors of rampant organizational discord. ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz touched on all of this in a lengthy piece, and one supposed issue is the fact that interim general manager James Jones hasn't put enough emphasis on scouting:
But sources say Jones' willful dismissal of scouting denigrates the value of information that can be gathered on-site. It also undermines an inconvenient reality: The Suns have a far better chance of vaulting into the postseason with a homegrown core on rookie deals than they do recruiting championship talent to Phoenix.
Jones has tried to defend himself against the criticism, shedding some light on his team's vision over the next few years. According to the 38-year-old head honcho, the team's front office remains wary of falling into the trap of relying too heavily on high draft picks:
“The perception here is that we lose a lot of games, draft in the top five and keep drafting, so we should focus on scouting every player who comes across the board, leave no stone unturned,” Jones says, via Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN. “You can only draft young guys for so long. If you're continuing to draft in the top five it's because the guys you're drafting aren't good, or it can be that the guys you're drafting are good, but you just aren't developing your young prospects.”
Jones has a point here, which shows the type of mindset he wants to instill in the Suns organization. They're a bad team right now, as they have been over the past few years. However, Jones firmly believes that things are about to change.
In this regard, the high-ranking executive explained why it is only logical to have had an assessment of the team's scouting system:
“One thing to think about was whether or not the size of the scouting staff was adequate, and whether they were efficient or productive,” Jones says. “It's more than having people flying all over the country just to say that we are visible and say we were there. If you're utilizing more video and technology, you may not need as much manpower and man-hours.”
Currently with the worst record in the league, the Suns are one of the favorites to land the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. Should they succeed in doing so, very little scouting is indeed necessary, as picking Zion Williamson at No. 1 seems to be a no-brainer move at this point.
Follow Us
Subscribe