The Phoenix Suns now have another young, talented player that can grow alongside the talented corps in David Roddy.
The former member of the Memphis Grizzlies was part of the Royce O'Neale trade on Thursday, arriving in Phoenix as a player who has struggled through his first 1.5 seasons in the NBA.
The 23rd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft should be considered a work in progress, but also should be considered far from a bust at this stage.
While the Colorado State product has struggled with efficiency early on, the stint in college showed just who he can possibly be.
The 6'4" forward shot 57% from the floor and nearly 44% from three in his junior season for the Rams, which lead to being a first-round pick.
The efficiency hasn't carried over to the league - but there are several other positives that have been flashed to make Roddy a worthy rotational piece that has team control, while also having the potential to develop into more.
Roddy is a big body that willingly plays physical defense. He is also a plus athlete that does the majority of damage off of dribble drives - he can also use both hands on drives.
Things that Roddy needs to work on to become a potential playoff rotation player include working on improving the tunnel-vision tendency, becoming a more efficient finisher, and working on an inconsistent jump shot.
Thankfully, the Suns can likely be a situation in which Roddy can shore these concerns up in.
Suns' big man sensation Bol Bol had similar tunnel-vision concerns coming into the season. Now, Bol rarely ever breaks the structure of the team's offense and has been a wonderful spark plug in spurts.
Roddy also should have cleaner lanes to drive and cut to the hoop in Phoenix compared to Memphis, while also exhibiting mechanics on his jump shot that could be slightly malleable.
While Roddy may never be a great jump shooter, he could become consistent enough to be someone that shouldn't be left alone at the arc.
Roddy might not be a factor in the Suns' 2024 playoff rotation, but he was certainly a player that was worth taking a flier on.
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