As the Suns made a blockbuster trade for Bradley Beal, the news turned toward Torrey Craig and his free agency status.
Background
Torrey is a seasoned player. Having stints with a few teams, including the Nuggets, Bucks, Pacers, and now the Suns, Craig experienced a lot in the NBA.
Nevertheless, Craig is coming off his best season as a professional. He is a valuable role player in the NBA, and teams can use his services this upcoming season.
So, what does Craig bring to the table?
Torrey’s Strengths
Shooting
Torrey is an improved, and excellent shooter from three-point range. Last season, Craig shot 39.5% from three. He is a good corner, spot-up shooter, and teams can use Craig effectively, as a shooter. Torrey also went 7.2 percentage points in his shooting, so he made excellent strides in his shooting. In a league dominated by the three-point line, Craig’s evolved shooting gives confidence for his future.
Defense
Craig is known for his defensive capabilities. He is a strong, intelligent defender and guards multiple positions on the court. Torrey has close to a seven-foot wingspan, so he disrupts perimeter players and can guard forwards in the post as well. His defensive versatility allows him to find playing time because teams trust he can defend multiple positions at a high level. Craig plays with incredible effort on defense, so teams would get the best from Craig on the defensive end.
Craig’s Weaknesses
While Torrey Craig possesses good attributes, he does have some weaknesses in his game.
Lack of Offensive Versatility
Craig is not a versatile offense player, as he either shoots threes or drives with his right hand to the basket. In the Playoffs, his lack of shot creation put more pressure on other players to step up to fill that gap. Therefore, he has to show he can do more on the offensive end when his shot is taken away. Craig needs to show more comfortability driving to the basket and alleviating pressure from the Suns’ or other teams’ offensive stars.
While he is deemed a 3-and-D role player, Craig can stall the offense when he cannot get threes off against good defenders in the postseason. Furthermore, he has not improved that skill set over the last couple of years. Craig must add more to his offensive game to help create better offensive opportunities.
Last Word
Torrey Craig is a solid role player. He is good defensively and can shoot the three at a high mark. Craig would help teams striving for the playoffs, or an NBA Championship. If he can work on his weaknesses offensively, he allows himself to be a more attractive target for teams in free agency. It will be interesting to see what the Suns will do with Craig.
