Jared Cohen
The Phoenix Suns are off to a solid start to the pre-season for the 2012-13 season. They have found scoring from a variety of players, more notably from Jared Dudley, Michael Beasley and Luis Scola. They have found somewhat of a defensive specialist on defense with PJ Tucker. But one area that could present some concern has been the number of turnovers.
Through the first five games of the preseason, the Suns are averaging 18.6 turnovers a game including 22 in the game monday against the Kings. How do you avoid turnovers? You need a quarterback that is able to facilitate. Goran Dragic is the one who will be starting at point guard for the Suns and they will rely on him heavily to try to diminish these turnovers and lead this offense.
“This is my fifth year in this league and I have been working hard for this moment and I know it is going to be a long season but I think I am ready,” said Dragic. “I know what I have to do. Play hard, find open people.”
Dragic has proven that he can score. That was seen on multiple occasions the first time with the Suns as well as when playing against the Suns as a member of the Houston Rockets. What Dragic is now getting the opportunity to do as a member of the Suns is take his game to the next level as a point guard in this league. In his first five seasons in a role coming off the bench, he averaged just a little under two turnovers a game. Without a proven scorer or go to guy on the team, there will be a little extra weight on Dragic now on the starter to make good decisions and help create for others on the floor.
“I am the point guard, I have to find open people,” mentioned Dragic. “On some nights somebody else might be hot so I need to find them.”
With Alvin Gentry’s in-game rotation still up in there and the amount of questions surrounding this team and how they will perform based on how this roster is made up, the team’s success could go hand-in-hand with how Dragic develops into this role. The pressure is not all on him. The other players need to fulfill their end of the bargain. But Suns fans should know first hand how much a smart decision maker at point guard can bring the best out of the supporting cast on the floor.
“We have a young team, we have a lot of talent,” explained Dragic. “We have to practice hard and try to get better every day.”
The Suns are a week away from the start of the 2012-13 regular season in which they will take on the Golden State Warriors on Halloween night.
