With two spots to fill and the possibility they'll come from the summer league team, here are some guys I found interesting (besides Sato and Lampe):
Dalron Johnson (6-9/215) - I was surprised he was still around, but he makes a lot of sense on the Suns roster. At UNLV he was a dynamite high-post center and his game, at least in terms of comparible skills, is similar to Boris Diaw. He actually has good range and will block some shots, although he's not a very good defender for a tweener forward. I'd be curious to see if he's improved any.
Tommy Smith (6-10/215) - Not to get into another debate on the player, but he is a more complete forward than what you find in the summer leagues. At the very least, I would expect him to have a few games with some solid numbers. He will be one of the best athletes at his position in this league, and considering this is probably his last shot to make an NBA roster, I would expect him to be extra motivated to catch the eye of some team.
Chris Owens (6-7/245) - It's hard to imagine a place for Owens on the Suns, but if not for an ACL injury his senior year at Texas in 2002, he might been finishing off a nice first-round contract. He was considered one of the best players in the country at one point -- like Top 15. He played for either the Bucks or the Grizzlies one year. Think of a shorter Kurt Thomas, with more athleticism (pre-injury). It's been awhile. I would hope he's got his body intact these days.
Dalron Johnson (6-9/215) - I was surprised he was still around, but he makes a lot of sense on the Suns roster. At UNLV he was a dynamite high-post center and his game, at least in terms of comparible skills, is similar to Boris Diaw. He actually has good range and will block some shots, although he's not a very good defender for a tweener forward. I'd be curious to see if he's improved any.
Tommy Smith (6-10/215) - Not to get into another debate on the player, but he is a more complete forward than what you find in the summer leagues. At the very least, I would expect him to have a few games with some solid numbers. He will be one of the best athletes at his position in this league, and considering this is probably his last shot to make an NBA roster, I would expect him to be extra motivated to catch the eye of some team.
Chris Owens (6-7/245) - It's hard to imagine a place for Owens on the Suns, but if not for an ACL injury his senior year at Texas in 2002, he might been finishing off a nice first-round contract. He was considered one of the best players in the country at one point -- like Top 15. He played for either the Bucks or the Grizzlies one year. Think of a shorter Kurt Thomas, with more athleticism (pre-injury). It's been awhile. I would hope he's got his body intact these days.
