In continuing our series previewing the Suns Summer League roster, I give you Taquan Dean.
Dean was a standout at Louisville through 2005, when he was considered a lock for the first round of the NBA draft. His example serves as a cautionary tale to NCAA players who choose not to get while the gettin's good. After returning for his senior year in 2006, he spent the majority of the year on the bench with an ankle injury and went undrafted. He comes to the Summer League off 2 seasons of play in Russia and Italy.
The Ashbury Park Press has a nice column chronicling his life and training for NBA tryouts this season.
Blog Cardinal Empire scored an interview with Dean back in April in which Dean discloses his desire to play for former Suns scout Marco Crespi.
All in all, the 24-year old 6'3" shooting guard appears to have a good head on his shoulders. The available clips on YouTube don't really give much of an idea of what kind of player he is. Given the Suns relative depth at the 2, he would seem a long shot to make the roster, unless of course the Suns don't re-sign Giricek or decide to move Barbosa (whom I consider a far better option at the 2 than as a backup point guard). Despite having a nice stroke from the outside, I think his relative lack of size works against him as well.
I think the better odds are that he makes some noise at the Summer League with a shot at ending up on another team or being on a short-list for a 10-day call-up at some point.