Phoenix Suns – Rookie Jock Landale playing well

The Phoenix Suns traded for Jock Landale in early July. Landale is considered a rookie, however, he appeared in numerous games last season and made meaningful contributions. So far in the NBA’s preseason, Landale, a 6’11” center, has looked like a player that will add to Phoenix’s depth.

Landale’s stats in his two recent preseason games

Landale appeared in Monday’s preseason game for the Phoenix Suns. In 21 minutes, he tallied a healthy 10 points and 6 rebounds.

In a previous game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Landale logged 15 minutes of court time. He had 14 points and 7 rebounds in that outing to go with a couple of assists, a steal, and a block.

Landale’s profile and career highlights

Landale, who is 26 years old, is a smooth-moving center that played part of his professional career in the NBL, Australia’s top basketball league. He was a part of the Australian national team that won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In college, he played for the St. Mary’s Gaels.

Landale currently fits into Phoenix’s depth chart as a deep-backup center. ESPN has Landale as the fourth center for the Suns. That would imply very limited minutes when the regular season comes.

However, Landale might just play his way into a bigger role with the team. Currently, he is behind Deandre Ayton, Dario Saric, and Bismack Biyombo. The latter is now 30 years old and may start seeing his minutes decline. The way Landale has played in the preseason, he might see a very modest workload in the games that matter.

He’s certainly a player to keep an eye on. At the moment, Phoenix looks deep in the center position and that could open up some trade possibilities for the club. The Suns will continue their preseason when they host the Sacramento Kings on October 12th.