Phoenix Suns Flashback Friday: 30 for 30

We’re continuing down the jersey number rabbit hole on this edition of Phoenix Suns Flashback Friday, affectionately called “PSFF” amongst the people walking the streets. That is my assumption as least. While attempting to navigate the aisles in Costco on a busy Saturday afternoon — because we like to go when everyone in Phoenix is going — that is the sound I hear someone make when I cut them off with my cart to get to the pre-made quesadillas. “PSFF”.

I thank them for reading.

Last week we discussed the 11 players who have worn jersey number 20, gave a synopsis of their history with the franchise, and then — using 50 games as the line of demarcation for eligibility — questioned you, the Costco shopping reader, who you’d start, bench, and trade from the bunch. Your results?

• START: Maurice Lucas (78% of the vote)
• BENCH: Dario Saric (39%)
• TRADE: Josh Jackson (68% of the vote)

I think collectively we got this right. Mo Lucas was the best player to every wear the jersey number in Suns’ history, and rightfully dominated the polling relative to starting. There were numerous votes sprayed across the bench role, with Josh Jackson (27%) and Archie Goodwin (17%) getting substantial consideration.

And we’d all love to trade Josh Jackson. Over and over again. For eternity. Like trying to find a parking spot at Costco.

You ready for 30?

There have been a total of 10 player to don number 30 throughout the Suns’ history, and I’m not sure why so few. It’s a good looking number. Looks nice on a jersey, right? Big, bold, powerful. Yet the list is the smallest we’ve encountered thus far on our off-season journey through Suns’ jersey numbers.

We begin, as we always do, with the list of players:

• Fred Saunders 1975-1976
• Ron Lee 1977-1979
• Nick Vanos 1986-1987
• Clifford Robinson 1998-2001
• Maciej Lampe 2004-2005
• Earl Barron 2011, 2015
• Jon Leuer 2016
• Troy Daniels 2018-2019
• Damian Jones 2021
• Paris Bass 2022

That’s it. Not a very popular number, as it look 7 seasons for anyone to rock it after the Suns’ inaugural season of 1968. A decade gap between Vanos and Cliff. Sporadic play throughout. No awards. No player of the week award winners. An average of 93.1 games played, 6.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.

Some fun facts? You got it.

• Ron Lee is the all-time leading scorer in University of Oregon history and was drafted by the san Diego Chargers
• Uncle Cliff won the 1993 Sixth Man of the Year Award...with the Blazers
• Earl Barron had two separate stints with Phoenix
• Troy Daniels holds the record for most consecutive games coming off the bench and hitting a three-pointer, passing Wesley Person
• Jon Leuer is married to Keegan Billick, former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick’s daughter
• Damian Jones is a two-time NBA Champion, both with the Golden State Warriors

For the purposes of our start, bench trade game, six players from the list are eligible as they played 50 or more games for the Suns. Fred Saunders, Ron Lee, Nick Vanos, Cliff Robinson, Jon Leuer, and Troy Daniels make up this week’s list.

Fred Saunders

Hailing from Syracuse University, Fred Saunders was the first player to don number 30 following being drafted with the 31st overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft. Fred was the player-to-be-named later in the 1973 deal that sent Phoenix legend Connie Hawkins to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Standing at 6’7”, and nicknamed “Chocolate Thunder”, Saunders players 86 games as a member of the Suns over two seasons. He was part of the Sunderella Suns that made it to the 1976 NBA Finals, although the sophomore didn’t play during the postseason. Phoenix waived him and he ended up joining the team Phoenix lost to in the Finals, the Boston Celtics.

Is best game as a Sun came on February 15, 1975 in a 4-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks. In 16 minutes off of the bench, Saunders went 7-of-11 from the field for 21 points and snagged 5 boards. It was his fellow teammate Dick Van Arsdale’s twin brother Tom who lifted the Hawks to the victory as he had 35 in the game.

Ron Lee

Ron, the 10th overall pick by the Suns in the 1976 NBA Draft, is the little brother of former the 1972 NBA Draft’s 6th overall pick Russ Lee. Ron joined the Suns and didn’t miss a game in his first two seasons, playing in 164 of 164 regular season games. he averaged 11.2 points for Phoenix, although he didn’t get a playoff appearance until the 1978 run, in which he played in both losses to the Milwaukee Bucks that led to the Suns’ elimination (the Bucks were in the Western Conference back then).

He led the NBA in steals in 1977-78, swiping 2.7 per game, and was a fan favorite for his tenacity as a defender. And he had one hell of an afro.

The Suns ended up trading him midway through the 1978-79 season to the New Orleans Jazz for All-Star Truck Robinson.

Nick Vanos

The original Sun from Santa Clara, Vanos carries with him one of the more tragic stories in the franchise’s history. The center came to Phoenix with the 32nd overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. Playing in 68 games for Phoenix, starting 14 of them, he wasn’t an overly impactful player in his two seasons with the Suns.

Vanos died in a plane crash on August 16, 1987. After taking off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport en route back to Phoenix, the jet crashed, killing 154 passengers and crew members, including Vanos and his fiancée.

Cliff Robinson

“Uncle Cliff” signed with the Suns in 1998 after a successful 8 seasons playing with the Portland Trailblazers, which included a trip to the 1992 NBA Finals. A UConn alum, Cliff Robinson was a versatile forward who played with heart and desire on both ends of the floor.

Standing at 6’10”, and ahead of his time shooting the three-ball, he played in Phoenix for four seasons and on January 16, 2000, he dropped a career-high 50 points against the Denver Nuggets, shooting 17-of-26 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep. He averaged 16.4 points and 4.6 rebounds while in Phoenix

The Suns traded Robinson in 2001 for Jud Buechler and John Wallace, and he went on to be an All-Defensive Second Team selection that season.

John Leuer

Leuer came to Phoenix in 2015 via trade from the Memphis Grizzlies for Andrew Harrison. His career with the Suns started off strong, as he scored 14 points and had 7 boards off the bench in the season opener. He had seven double-doubles with the Suns in his 67 appearances during the 2015-16 season.

The Suns did not re-signed him entering 2016-17.

Troy Daniels

Gaining notoriety playing for VCU in the NCAA Tournament, NBA journeyman Troy Daniels came to Phoenix in a trade for two second round picks in 2017. The best years of his 7-year NBA career came in a Suns jersey as he averaged 7.9 points on 40.6/39.4/85.1 splits.

He averaged 5.0 three-point attempts per game over two seasons and 130 games with the Suns, and had six three-pointers in the second quarter against the Houston Rockets in November of 2017. That ties a Suns’ record for most made three’s, shared with Gerald Green and Shannon Brown. Ah, the mid-2010 Suns. Chuck it up, baby!

Phoenix did not bring Daniels back after the 2018-19 season. He played with the Lakers and the Nuggets before going overseas.

All righty. There is the list. Now the time for you to play hypothetical GM as you determine which players you’d start, bench, and trade.

Let us know your “why” in the comments below!