Suns get good news on Chriss’ ankle injury
When Suns second-year forward Marquese Chriss went down with a left ankle injury in the Las Vegas Summer League last week, Assistant General Manager Pat Connelly feared the worst.
By Monday, the organization could breathe easy.
Chriss suffered what Connelly termed a “normal ankle sprain,” was walking around without crutches or a protective boot and is expected to be fully healthy by the start of training camp in late September.
“It looked a lot worse than it was,” Connelly said. “He doesn’t have to do anything more than the normal treatment and rehabilitation process.”
With summer league over for the Suns, Connelly assessed the play of rookies Josh Jackson and Davon Reed.
Jackson, the No. 4 pick overall, averaged 17.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and showed off the defensive versatility he displayed at Kansas. Last Wednesday he had two blocks of Utah center Julian Wright – who also played for Kansas.
“You saw how he’s in great shape. He played 35 minutes a game and never looked gassed or fatigued,” Connelly said. “He got more comfortable each game with the speed of the game and he was always aggressive, attacking offensively and doing a really good job rebounding. He impacted the game in a lot of different areas. He never looked out of place and I thought each game he got more and more comfortable.”
Jackson’s offensive game, on the other hand, isn’t so far along. He shot just 42.5 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from 3-point range. Connelly, however, is convinced those numbers will improve as Jackson tweaks his form. Jackson was on the Suns’ practice court Monday working on his shot.
“He didn’t shoot a wonderful percent-
age from (the 3-point line) but you could see some improvement. And he’s a worker,” Connelly said.
Connelly believes Reed opened some eyes with his play in the summer league. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard didn’t put up great numbers – he averaged 14 points per game and shot 37.3 percent from the field – but Connelly said front-office executives from other teams told him “about how they felt Reed was solid.”
“That’s a great adjective for a player to have,” Connelly said. “Solid means reliable. He plays like a veteran.”
Connelly said Reed, who at 22 could be described as one of the Suns’ elder statesmen, also took on a leadership role.
“A few times he put his arms around some of the young guys to encourage them,” Connelly said. “It was good to see him feel comfortable doing that.”
There’s no news on the status of center Alex Len, a restricted free agent who was extended a one-year, $4.2 million qualifying offer in late June. The free-agent market has been slow for big men, with Len, Mason Plumlee and Nerlens Noel all having unresolved contract situations.