SUNS

Phoenix Suns guard Archie Goodwin doing more with less opportunity

Paul Coro
azcentral sports
Phoenix Suns guard Archie Goodwin (20) shoots against San Antonio Spurs center Aron Baynes (16) during the second half of their NBA game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 in Phoenix.

Even for being in his second year, Archie Goodwin said he can't consider himself a veteran.

He reserves that distinction for players such as Gerald Green and Danny Granger, in their eighth and 10th seasons, respectively. To Goodwin, each player 25 and under — most of his Suns team — is young.

Goodwin is really young at 20, older than only 15 other NBA players.

He remains young to NBA life. With 79 career appearances, Goodwin is a pseudo-rookie with fewer chances for experience being available this season. He has played half as many minutes (266) as he did last season (533) with only 14 games remaining.

But the recent playing time has been his most valuable yet. Goodwin played in 19 of the Suns' first 59 games but has appeared in nine consecutive games, including a season-high 23 minutes in Sunday's win against New York with seven points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals.

With Brandon Knight's injured ankle and Green's regression, Goodwin has stepped into the role of a combo guard who can back up or play alongside Eric Bledsoe, as he did down the stretch Sunday.

"It makes me more versatile than just being a straight-up 1 or a straight-up 2," Goodwin said. "In that aspect, I can come in and give guys breaks at either position and it can help us out, especially with me bringing energy and consistent effort because that's something we really need. Our energy has been low some games and I can pick that up for us."

Goodwin touts his IQ for being able to adapt to either position. He knows the offense well enough to have stepped in for a power forward during a practice.

Goodwin has spent twice as much time with D-League affiliate Bakersfield this season to work on his perimeter shooting and off-ball defense. Since arrival as a No. 29 pick in 2013, Goodwin has shown an undeniable NBA-level ability to get to the rim in transition or half-court action. Seventy-one of his 106 shots this season are inside of 8 feet but he has made 42 percent of them.

He has not made a mid-range shot on 12 tries but is 9 for 23 on 3-pointers (39 percent), not counting half-court heaves.

"He's being aggressive," Bledsoe said. "He don't let nobody change the game. Everybody always calls him 'out of control' but at the end of the day, he comes in and plays hard and tries to be the hardest player out there working."

Goodwin has made a case for his own playing time by pointing out how the team can be reluctant to shoot, setting up one-on-one play for more difficult shots. He pledges to attack on the dribble, even though he believes his age is keeping him from getting calls.

On Tuesday, his aggression was part of a younger team that "took it to" a team of mid-20s Suns, coach Jeff Hornacek said.

"He (Goodwin) has got that ability to get by guys," Hornacek said. "He's working on his strength and he is getting stronger. Last year, he probably would've been flipped on those drives to the basket. Now, he's taking the contact. As the years go on and he gets stronger and stronger, he's just going to be blowing through those guys and laying it in or dunking it. His aggressiveness put them on their heels."

The carrot for playing time has been a defensive message from Hornacek: "If you're not killing us defensively, it's easier to keep you in there."

Hornacek has seen Goodwin's off-ball defense improve and hails him as the only Suns player applying backcourt pressure.

Since assuming backup playmaker duty, Goodwin has tallied 10 assists to four turnovers in three games and keeps his head up more with his dribble.

"We're always telling Archie, 'If your reputation is you never pass it, when you go to drive it, you're going to have three, four guys in on you. But if you make passes out, then all of a sudden, those guys aren't going to come help and now you're going to take the guy one on one. On full speed like that, you're going to have a bucket,' " Hornacek said. "I think he's done a much better job of looking at where he can pass the ball. Consequently, he gets more good looks."

Knight, Len questionable

Knight and Alex Len remain questionable for Thursday's game against New Orleans because of ankle sprains. Neither player practiced Tuesday but both ran on an anti-gravity treadmill.

Knight has missed the past three games while Len has been out one game since spraining the right ankle for a third time since Feb. 5.

"It's getting better every day a little bit," Len said. "We're trying to get it ready maybe for next game.

"That's what the goal is but I don't know how realistic it is. You never know. Sometimes, you wake up and feel great."