PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns have had their fair share of hall of fame players, special squads, and unforgettable moments since the franchise inception in 1968 – but who is the most unheralded player to ever suit up in Phoenix?
There are several names that come into mind – players that are considered Suns legends but still don’t quite get the love of fellow franchise legends, obscure role players that are seldom mentioned, and even players that are frequently lost in the shuffle of the infant years of the Suns.
Six players who deserve more recognition from fans and media alike:
Who do you think is the most underrated Sun of all-time?
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) September 2, 2024
Grant Hill
Oddly enough it has felt as if Hill’s late-career resurgence in Phoenix is more recognized by national media and fans compared to those locally.
Hill had an infamous string of poor luck as a member of the Orlando Magic, having only crossed the 60 games played mark twice in seven seasons there.
He joined the Suns as something of a “reclamation project” and instantly became a fan favorite while reinventing himself in his five seasons in the Valley.
He never dropped below 10 PPG while playing for the Suns, while also enjoying his two best seasons as a shooter and playing quality defense until he was nearly 40 years of age.
Hill always seemed to be below players such as Boris Diaw, Amar’e Stoudemire, and even Jason Richardson in terms of sheer popularity/perceived importance to the squad, but make no mistake – he was vital to the 2010 run to the WCF.
Goran Dragic
Dragic will always be remembered for two things as a Sun – his 23-point outburst in the fourth quarter of the 2010 playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs to eliminate their biggest rival of the 2000’s decade – and his 2014 most improved player efforts, where he lead a team that was seen as poor coming into the season to 48 wins.
The only thing that prevented Dragic from being a franchise legend were the two times in which he exited in ugly fashion.
If he had remained, there could have been a truly compelling case that he would’ve been the third greatest point guard in franchise history prior to Chris Paul’s arrival.
It certainly hurts even more that he is now seen as more of a Miami Heat legend above all else.
Shawn Marion
Marion gets tons of due respect in the Suns’ fan base, but it largely is lacking around the national scene.
“The Matrix” has still yet to be named to the Basketball Hall of Fame despite being a quality college player and phenomenal NBA player with significant accomplishments.
Marion was very arguably the best “jack-of-all-trades” player of his era and was an influence for active players such as Aaron Gordon.
The fact that Marion was moved for a declining Shaquille O’Neal also makes it tough to quantify how under-appreciated he’s been – both in-and-post career.
Mark West
West is perhaps the player with the least impressive career here – but that didn’t take away from his importance to the early 90’s versions of the Suns.
West was always a source of offensive rebounding and rim protection – having never averaged under 1 BPG during his six seasons in Phoenix.
He was also a key cog in the 92-93 team that won 62 games and nearly took down Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.
West inarguably deserves more respect from fans. His contributions to the franchise were massive.
Connie Hawkins
Hawkins was one of the more talented players of his era, but a point-shaving scandal in college marred that – and he failed to receive an NBA opportunity until Phoenix signed him in 1969 – at nearly 27 years of age.
Hawkins made a day-one impact, averaging 24.6 PPG and 10.4 RPG – effectively as a rookie in the league.
He eventually departed the franchise after the 1973-74 season and is immortalized in the Suns’ ring of honor, but it feels like he frequently gets overshadowed by teammates such as Dick Van Arsdale in the process.
Raja Bell
Bell was the “enforcer” of the 7-seconds or less era – he was the only Sun who was frequently unfazed when going toe-to-toe with the great Kobe Bryant and notoriously irritating wings such as Bruce Bowen.
He didn’t have an amazing physical profile, wasn’t a great finisher, and tended to let his emotions get the best of him – but the positives far outweighed the minuses.
He was an extremely effective floor spacer, having never shot below 40% from three across his 3.5 seasons in Phoenix. He was consistently the most willing POA defender – save for Shawn Marion. He brought an edge to the team that wasn’t there in 04-05.
Bell eventually got shipped out for two fellow underrated Suns – Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley – but the total impact over his tenure gives Bell the edge.
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