Suns Stumbled Upon TWO Absolute GEMS!

Suns Stumbled Upon TWO Absolute GEMS!

Here we go. Here we go.
Huh? Huh?
We got a We got a We got a signing here. Nigel Hayes from the the 2025 Euro League Champion and Finals MVP as well as Turkish Cup champion MVP has fully agreed to a one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns. Two-time Euro League firstteamer returns to the States. Nigel Hayes Davis. There’s your This your big week sighting, bro. Who? Free agency day has come and gone. And once again, we learned that when reality doesn’t meet expectations, it can be ultimately frustrating. Suns fans learned that lesson expecting to compete for a title with a quote unquote big three of book, KD, and Bradley Beal, and learned it again when the majority of Suns fans were expecting to sign someone flashy like Chris Paul or at the minimum ressigning Taius Jones. Instead, we got Colin Gillespie, which is important. Don’t get me wrong, and Nigel Hayes Davis, who admittedly 99% of us knew absolutely nothing about. Let’s be honest, it’s it’s 100% of us. Nobody knew. But I want to share with you what I’ve learned about Nigel and CJ Huntley from App State. I don’t see nearly enough people talking about CJ Huntley. And after 5 years in college, I don’t think that he’s that much of a project. I think he could play, especially if the Suns commit to a youth movement that seems like they’re being forced into against Matt Ishbia’s wishes. And thank God. Hit the like for us, please, and let me know in the comments what you thought of the Nigel Hayes Davis signing because I’ll admit it. I was completely ignorant to who he was, where he’s been, where he’s from, and I had no idea how he plays. And then in that live stream, we watched some highlights of Nigel and they weren’t that flashy. So me and Sundo thought he was boring. And then after showing our ignorance, Sundo joked that overnight I would watch his highlights and fall in love with his game and then make a video about him, which for the record I find highly offensive, Sundo, but that is what ended up happening. But I can promise you that I stand 10 toes down when I say I absolutely love the way that NHD plays basketball. I cannot overstate how aligned he is with what the Suns want to become. It makes perfect sense that they would go and get him. And bravo to them for possibly being the only ones that had the idea to do it. Right. So Nigel Hayes Davis played for the Knicks in 2017. He didn’t last with him very long though. A year later, he signed a 10day with the Lakers and then he got a 10day with the Raptors and then the Raptors kept him in their G-League system until he ended up with a multi-year deal with the Kings that lasted a little longer than 3 months though when he was waved. He is 6’8, a little over 250 lb with a 7 foot3 wingspan. and that is going to fit nicely alongside Rashir Fleming’s 6’9 height and 7 foot5 wingspan. He seems to have really improved his three-point shooting since going over to the Euro League, averaging over 39% in his time there. He is a true threelevel scoring defender who can erupt offensively. That’s not something that I thought was going to be the case when we first watched his highlights. Bro can score. Best comparison that I’ve heard or seen is Jimmy Butler. And I know how that sounds, but just like Jimmy Butler, he is crafty. And for a wing, he plays super well out of the post and often. He’s down there a lot. He is so comfortable with his back to the basket. Feels like maybe that’s about how he gets like 50% of his points. He plays under the rim, you know? He’s not like having monster dunks or anything. I think that’s why Sundo and I were feeling like he was a little boring, but I think it’s a good thing cuz the Suns don’t have anyone that scores like that. They’ve been lacking a paint scoring presence for a while now. One of my favorite traits in any player at any position is being unselfish. And he really is. He’s got great court vision. It seems like he really enjoys making the correct play at the correct time and not forcing things. He will hit open teammates wherever they are. If the right choice is giving it up to a teammate, he’s going to get them the ball on time. It seems like he really likes hitting that reverse layup on people, going baseline, and using the backboard. And as far as shooting the ball, there is nothing that needs to be ironed out. He doesn’t need to have any progression in that category. He doesn’t need to tinker with anything. His jumper is absolutely gorgeous. You don’t score a league record 50 points in one game without being able to knock down outside shots. He’s a very good hardworking defender. Really brings energy on defense. I don’t know if he’ll be as good, but the one parallel I can draw, especially for the Suns, is when the Suns brought PJ Tucker back to the United States and gave him a chance because of his defense and corner three ability. I don’t know if he’ll be as good as PJ Tucker. I don’t want to put that on him, but it is reminiscent. He’s got a killer spin move in the post. You’ll see it several times in these highlights and I’m sure we’ll see it a lot in the regular season. He’s just a smooth bucket getter and he’s a big physical presence. A home run move by Brian Gregory and Matt Ishbia. Dead serious. Then there’s CJ Huntley from App State. He didn’t measure at the combine, so I’m going to assume that he’s really 610 without shoes, not the 611 that he’s listed as on ESPN. Either way, he is a tall stretch four, one that averaged 15 and8 last season, points and rebounds. He too has improved his three-point shooting. Freshman year, he only shot 25.8% on a little over one three per game. 5 years later, he shoots 35.6% 6% on three times as many attempts, almost four per game. And he really runs the floor well, which is going to fit in with the fast-paced offense that Suns fans are clamoring for and that we hear Jordan A’s offenses are known for. I love that versatility. Now, he can score in the paint. He’s got good post moves and he’s got a good motor, but he might need to put a little bit of weight on if he’s going to be going up against NBA Fives. But he is feisty. Like he’s got really fun energy that shines through. I think he’s a really good screen setter and he loves pick and popping. He’s always hanging around that three-point line. Got a little bit of Miles Turner in him. Not going to lie. That might be the best comparison, but it seems like he’s in the paint more often to get rebounds. I can definitely see him having usage in a small ball five lineup. And whoever is guarding him, likely the other team’s five, is going to have to get out of the paint and follow him around the perimeter. He’s not just a good pick and popper. He’s really good at pick and rolling, too. And he scores around the rim with both hands. Got a left-handed hook shot that he has no business being able to convert like he does. Dude is just an absolute floor spacer. Something that a lot of us Suns fans have been clamoring for. He just didn’t think we were going to have to go to App State to get it. And again, I would say his jump shot needs basically no improvement. He’s been in college for 5 years. He has it figured out already. This new retoled son’s front office just continues to impress me over and over. Tell me if you feel the same way. Thank you guys for hanging out and we will see you

The Phoenix Suns have made two free agent signings so far and both are arguably home runs. Euro league MVP Nigel Hayes-Davis has been signed to a guaranteed deal and Undrafted Free Agent CJ Huntley from Appalachian State has been signed to a 2-Way Contract.

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