<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-free-agency-udoka-azubuike-two-way-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns free agency analyisis: Udoka Azubuike');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/udoka.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns free agency analyisis: Udoka Azubuike</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-08-19T10:32:26-07:00">August 19th, 10:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-08-19T10:32:26-07:00">August 19th, 10:32am</time><address><a>Trevor Booth</a>Trevor Booth is a beat writer covering the Phoenix Suns, in addition to working as an associate editor. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in sports journalism from Arizona State University in 2021. Booth is passionate about his faith, video games, sports with friends and making the most of his time with his girlfriend when he's not working.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-udoka-azubuike-two-way-contract" rel="noopener">signed</a> former Kansas basketball center Udoka Azubuike to a two-way contract earlier this month.</p><p>Azubuike, who earned consensus second-team All-American honors in 2020, has played in three NBA seasons with the Utah Jazz.</p><p>“Udoka possesses amazing imposes size and the ability to finish around the rim,” Suns president of basketball operations and general manager James Jones said in a release. “His strength and physicality help add to our team’s depth.”</p><p>Azubuike <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro?CF=POSITION*E*&amp;SeasonYear=2020-21&amp;dir=1&amp;sort=WEIGHT" rel="noopener">has</a> a ridiculous 7-foot-7 wingspan as recorded by the NBA Draft Combine. He <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article246855672.html" rel="noopener">also registered</a> the highest vertical standing leap in NBA Combine history among centers at 37 inches. He also still holds the NCAA Division I record for career field-goal percentage at 74.9 percent.</p><p>Here is his free agency analysis, from ClutchPoints:</p><h2>Suns signing</h2><p>Azubuike played a career-best 36 games with the Jazz this past season. He is an incredible finisher around the basket and shot a whopping 81.9 percent (59-of-72) from the field this past season.</p><p>The Suns <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-saben-lee-year-in-review-clutchpoints" rel="noopener">re-signed</a> guard Saben Lee to a two-way deal and used their second of three potential two-way contracts on Azubuike.</p><h2>Statistics:</h2><p>PPG: 3.5</p><p>RPG: 3.3</p><p>BPG: 0.4</p><p>FG%: 81.9</p><p>MPG: 10.0</p><p>Games started: 4</p><h2>Strengths</h2><p>Azubuike has a very rare vertical leap and wingspan at his size. It is very difficult to stop him when he gets the ball within a few feet of the rim.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>He excels as a lob finisher since it is near impossible to contest him when he is high in the air. Azubuike puts pressure on his opponents due to his 270-pound frame, so it is very hard to push him off his spots.</p><p>Azubuike was also a very good defender in college around the basket. He averaged 2.0 blocks per game for his career and was the NABC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.</p><p>Azubuike’s best blocks-per-game average with Utah was 0.6 in 2021-22, when he played 11.5 minutes per contest.</p><h2>Development</h2><p>Azubuike was picked by the Jazz No. 27 overall in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. He has the ability to put rare pressure on the rim, which is why teams would make sense to take a chance on him.</p><p>Azubuike lacks some coordination that would make him a more threatening player. He finishes in the post with a right hook but is slow to develop it.</p><p>Most of Azubuike’s finishes are around the basket and not much further. He does not seem to be a player the Suns could rely on to make plays in the pocket of pick-and-rolls. Center Deandre Ayton can finish at the rim and a mid-range jumper in short-roll situations, which is something that Azubuike would need to develop.</p><p>Azubuike’s game is a bit outdated in the modern NBA. He is a tall player who can physically dominate inside.</p><p>Small-ball lineups and positionless players would be more difficult for Azubuike to guard.</p><h2>Expectations</h2><p>Azubuike is a low-risk project who could provide some impact. He is a two-way player, which means he could bounce back and forth between the Suns and the G-League.</p><p>Azubuike is coached by Frank Vogel, who has led teams to the top defensive rating in the NBA three times since 2012. He could try and build Azubuike into an anchor with the Suns behind Ayton.</p><p>Phoenix has three centers on its roster: Ayton; Drew Eubanks; and Chimezie Metu. All three of those players are more athletic than Azubuike.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
2.2	2.0	0.2	0.4	0.1

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
2.2	2.0	0.2	0.4	0.1

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