As you mentioned, there used to be a huge drop-off when Steve went to the bench, and that’s just not the case anymore. I also like that Dragic in the last 10 games or so seems to be increasing his assists and lowering his turnovers, so he’s starting to play a little more like a point guard.

We’ve got legit talent that’s at least 10 deep. I actually only really consider Taylor Griffin the “human victory cigar” or “human white flag” that used to make up the 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 spots on a D’Antoni bench. Clark could easily be a productive player if we needed him to be, and Jarron Collins has shown he can be helpful if needed.

after looking at his minutes and thinking about his ability to defend multiple positions and play with any combination of lineups…tough call

I ended up going with Goran.. but the rest arent all that far behind. I do think though, that when Leandro is 100% and playing up to his potential, he’s going to be right up there if not our true 6th man.

I don’t feel right about disagreeing with the coach, because he does know more than I do, but I can’t believe he considers Frye more valuable than either Dudley or Dragic. I don’t see it.

as for the 7th man I’m going with Dudley

You’re kidding me? Gentry says that Fyre is the most valuable player off the bench? I remember having a conversation with someone on this board about Frye getting too many minutes sometimes, when they should be going to Lopez.. I was joking that Gentry has a “man crush” on Channing Fyre. Wow, this only goes to support that ridiculous theory.

Does anyone think those questionable Jazz players (Williams, Kirilenko, Matthews) will sit out? I don’t. They’ll play hurt.

If the Suns play hard enough, those players’ injuries could get aggravated, weakening the Jazz as a potential playoff opponent.

Despite being injured most of this season, I’d vote for Leandro.

And my reasons are as follows: the traditional role of the 6th man, as was pointed out previously, is to be an impact offensive player, specifically to target a team that is tiring (and you get tired even after 5 mins playing ball at a pro level). So players like Heinsohn, Havlicek, McHale and especially Ginobili are what you want, in that role.

There’s a good case for arguing that last year, Leandro was our best player, and it wasn’t until he went down injured that our hopes for post season play vanished. He was our Ginobili last year.

Still, having said all that, the debate here is important. It means that we actually have depth, and enough depth for a second unit that is good enough to compete with a lot of teams near first units (first units missing 1 starter).

Aside from the individual contributions, Alvin might decide to use tactically, what has me excited me is that we can bring an entire unit onto the floor that is impactful as a whole, simply because both Leandro and Goran are such fast players. Imagine you’re playing us.. having to deal with Steve and Amare, you think you’re going to get a little break vs our second unit, and instead we just crank the pace up to 11, and you still have to defend the interior, midrange and the 3 because of Lou, Jared and Frye.

We haven’t seen it yet in full flight (although we saw hints of it vs the TWolves), and hopefully Alvin is just keeping that powder dry. Given the mix of starter time vs bench time in the playoffs, the opposition is in for a big surprise.

but due to him being injured and ineffective last year due to having a different style of play people forget how valuable he really is…I’m sure if this poll was taken in a few weeks when Barbs is playing well (Hopefully) it wouldn’t be so slanted. I thought it was going to be ALL DRAGIC so i was very surprised to see how high Dudley got. I voted for Dudley since he comes in the game, guards the other teams best offensive weapon, can hit the J, has a low post game and can rebound. He is very charasmatic and when he is on he can spark the whole team. He is our second unit leader and too me is pretty much Bruce Bowen 2.0…Minus being a total dick.

I honestly think Lou has been our biggest impact player. I know how important Goran is for his ability to lead the 2nd unit and let Nash rest. JD can play multiple positions as well as guard multiple positions. He can knock down the 3 and he hustles and plays great D. The man works perfectly for the system.

However, I find Lou to be the true sixth man. The main reason is that for a guy like Lou, he never has an off night. Out of the 5 in the poll, Lou is the only one who has never fallen into a slump or anything of that sort. Sometimes, Goran, Leandro, Channing, and Jared sometimes fall into shooting slumps and might not be as effective in some games.

Lou on the other hand.. He comes out with a lot of energy and he provides great interior defense and hustle. The man rebounds as well as Dennis Rodman and he blocks like Mutombo. I’m not saying he’s on their level but I’m just trying to say that Lou has that type of talent. I think he’s a Ben Wallace type player with better offensive skills. He rebounds and plays defense but he also runs the pick and roll effectively. I guess you can say he’s our version of the Birdman. It’s no wonder he became a fan favorite. I’m glad Lou has found a home here with the Suns.