Bickley: Tough decisions confront Phoenix Suns as trade deadline nears

The Suns are young and temperamental. They have three point guards and only one basketball. They have twin brothers who need to grow up. Their players have 33 technical fouls in 41 games, 30 more than the world-champion Spurs.

Their immaturity is testing the patience of their employers.

"I'm happy with our competitive spirit," Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough said. "I'm happy that we're playing with energy and effort, and I felt at times we didn't have that earlier in the season."

Still, these are stressful times on Planet Orange, especially with a Feb. 19 trade deadline looming in the distance. Many are wondering if the Suns are going to change their hand or stand pat, hoping to somehow channel their unbridled, unpredictable energy into a dangerous playoff team.

This is not an easy decision. They are a winning team, unlike similar youth movements in Philadelphia and Utah. But their inexperience and petulance are challenging enough for head coach Jeff Hornacek, who also has the added stress of balancing minutes for his three point guards and shooting guard Gerald Green.

They can't trade Eric Bledsoe, who seems on the brink of stardom. They don't want to trade Goran Dragic, who plays hard, fights through injuries and is happy to be the ever-smiling face of the franchise. That leaves Isaiah Thomas, who has played to mixed reviews in his first season with the Suns.

Thomas is a natural-born fighter. At 5-feet-9, his basketball life has been one burden of proof after another. He's had to win every job he's ever had. But sometimes, guys like that don't make the best teammates. Not when everyone is the competition and every battle is personal.

If the right deal comes across the table, I would trade Thomas just to change the dynamic, to alleviate the internal stress. After all, he was an insurance policy for Bledsoe, which is no longer necessary.

Unlike the 48-win surprise party in 2013-14, there have been many bumps in the road. Earlier this season, P.J. Tucker missed a team bus. Marcus Morris verbally berated his coach on national television. And after pouring in 35 points against LeBron James and the Cavaliers, Markieff Morris refused to speak to the media.

Internally, the Morris twins apologized for their actions. But perception can be very damaging, and at times, the Suns look like a team that doesn't always respect authority, barking at NBA officials as well as their head coach. This will not endear them to a fan base that has come to expect a higher standard of behavior.

Throw in a radio broadcast team that obsessively complains about officiating, and the Suns are in danger of incurring real backlash from NBA referees.

To their credit, the organization is trying to change the narrative. They deactivated Tucker for one game after he missed the bus. Hornacek recently told the players he had seen enough technical fouls, and ensuing offenders would find a seat on the bench. They just explained to Markieff Morris the wasted opportunity of going mute after a great game. They seem to be listening.

At times, it feels like these Suns are tantalizingly close. They lost two games in eight days when the opponent made an incredibly lucky shot at the buzzer. They've lost in double overtime to Oklahoma City and Memphis. Alex Len is becoming an elite rim protector. The addition of Brandan Wright gives the team a legitimate backup center, and Thursday's trade for Reggie Bullock was a nice addition.

Just like the Cardinals, the Suns' front office is functioning at a very high level. The group also understands the importance of edginess, a trait that was the foundation for last year's turnaround.

Question is, can this group find a singular focus, limit the turnovers, move the basketball and stop barking at referees? Or are three strong-minded point guards a novel idea destined to fail, inevitably throwing a team out of balance and harmony?

In this case, it appears you can have too much of a good thing.

Reach Bickley at dan.bickley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8253. Follow him at twitter.com/danbickley. Listen to "The Dan Bickley Show with Vince Marotta," weekdays from 12-2 p.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.







