Garret Siler ??

[realsunsfan]

Anybody know much about this guy ?? He is the latest invitee to camp.
Supposedly a legite 6' 11" 300 ish back up center.....

[WTFsunsFTW]

Never heard of him. Seems like he could be our Erick Dampier

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/garret-siler

[Kerrsed]

Siler played with the Shanghai Sharks last year, where he averaged 14.1 points and 9.3 rebounds. He is a legitimate 6'11" and 300 lbs but has good hands and a soft touch -- he's basically competing directly with Dwayne Jones to serve as the Suns' backup big man.

Garret Siler, perennial Summer League standout, will be attending the Phoenix Suns training camp. The 6-foot-11, near 300-pound center played with the New Jersey Nets and Miami Heat in Summer League this July after after averaging 14.1 points and 9.3 rebounds with the Shangai Sharks in China's CBA.

Siler will be the sixteenth player on the Suns roster when they open training camp next week. The second-year pro will join Matt Janning, Dwayne Jones and Zabian Dowdell as players without guaranteed contracts going into this season. Basically, if Siler is to earn a spot on the Suns roster, he'll do so at the expense of Jones - a player the Phoenix brass has raved about sign re-signing him earlier in the summer.

Most recently, I wrote about Siler when breaking down the Atlanta Hawks' big men options:

Siler is probably the most obvious player to include on this list since Cunningham suggested there is "some interest" in the 6-foot-11, 300-plus pound big man out of Augusta State. Though Cunningham suggested that "he's got a lot to prove after a bad showing at Summer League," I'd like to counter that THE DUDE MADE 75% OF HIS SHOT ATTEMPTS AND PULLED DOWN 3.8 BOARDS IN JUST 14 MINUTES OF ACTION. I've been driving the Siler bandwagon for awhile, sure, but the kid deserves an opportunity. He has great size, soft hands, scores as efficiently as anyone, runs the court very well for a guy his size and seems to be willing to do whatever it takes to get an opportunity.

Star-divide

If you're someone that's been following my musings on players not quite in the NBA for any length of time, you'll know my favorite player is probably Mr. Siler as first detailed here:

Siler is actually the reason I decided to write this recap, because even though I couldn't keep up on the internets due to the $10/day for internet at my hotel, I know he wasn't gushed about enough. Siler, believe it or not, has Ridiculous Upside©. He's a legitimate 6'11, 300ish pound center. He's a project, definitely, but a project worth paying! Soft hands, good hustle, good instincts, rebounded well and he showed decent touch around the basket. Of course his conditioning could improve, but he's more in shape than Sean May, so that should count for something. I sincerely thought he'd be perfect for the Wolves, as he's impossible to box out and set great screens to get Jonny Flynn open, but according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he's in mini-camp with the Hawks. Well, it seems they could also use a big man to take some heat off of their star player - I like Siler's chances.

Hopefully he makes the most out of this opportunity and, if it doesn't work out, sticks around to play in the D-League - at least until 10-day contracts starting being extended in January.

http://www.ridiculousupside.com/2010/9/20/1699121/garret-siler-invited-to-phoenix

[BVPN]

Do we still have room on our roster? This doesn't seem like anything long-term.

[Kerrsed]

Do we still have room on our roster? This doesn't seem like anything long-term.

I guess you didnt read the article i just posted.

Siler will be the sixteenth player on the Suns roster when they open training camp next week. The second-year pro will join Matt Janning, Dwayne Jones and Zabian Dowdell as players without guaranteed contracts going into this season. Basically, if Siler is to earn a spot on the Suns roster, he'll do so at the expense of Jones - a player the Phoenix brass has raved about sign re-signing him earlier in the summer.

[Frank Lee]

Not so sure he is head to head with Jones for the last spot (#15).

I'd think with our diminutive front line, both he and Jones could be kept and Dowdell be left out. Keep one of the two big guys on the practice roster and let the other D-League it, probably Siler. I expect Janning to beat out Dowdell and be another 'suit' on the bench. All 3 will be paid Chump change.

Keeping a 15 man roster is surprising.... if it happens. Though this year we are not paying the lux tax, which is the likely reason.

[Kerrsed]

Hill/Dudley/Clark
Turk/Warrick/Lawal
Lopez/Frye/Jones/Siler?

[Mr. Sun]

[CALPURNIA]

6-11 and 300 pounds.
Really big body and can play, but I am not sure why he is being held off the NBA these last years.
He was invited to the Hawks camp the last two years and, dissapointly, was left out.

[hunterxaz]

I wish we'd let Clark go already so people would stop including him in depth charts.

[markdeez33]

As being from where Siler played college ball, Augusta

He helped lead this team to the D2 national championship

Highly underrated, and under the radar. He's a big body and clogs the paint, but he also can score and rebound.

There's no reason why he shouldn't be in the NBA because he's better than a lot of the stiff big men that are in and around the league. He will stick somewhere eventually. Hopefully he'll get a chance to shine in Phoenix, even as a 15th man.

Also he's improved drastically since his days at Augusta State, and he was damn good then but playing against smaller players, now he's proven he can play with bigger players and I'm proud to see it.

[Kerrsed]

As being from where Siler played college ball, Augusta

He helped lead this team to the D2 national championship

Highly underrated, and under the radar. He's a big body and clogs the paint, but he also can score and rebound.

There's no reason why he shouldn't be in the NBA because he's better than a lot of the stiff big men that are in and around the league. He will stick somewhere eventually. Hopefully he'll get a chance to shine in Phoenix, even as a 15th man.

Also he's improved drastically since his days at Augusta State, and he was damn good then but playing against smaller players, now he's proven he can play with bigger players and I'm proud to see it.

Thanks for the info!

[lilfishi22]

How old is this guy?

[DBrimstone]

I agree that Dowdell is the more of the odd man out. We need more bigs to develop on super cheap contracts and turn into role players (stick em on a 3 year contract and they suddenly become a trade asset as well). We already have Nash and Dragic. I like Janning more than Dowdell. Hill and Turk can also run the point when we need it. He seems redundant, seeing as how they all do what he does better, and Janning's younger so he's got more time to develop.

[DBrimstone]

How old is this guy?

24 I think... Which is 2 years younger than Dwayne Jones

[Miklo]

I doubt Siler will make the roster, unless one of the new staffers has convinced Bobby Sarvo to go above 13. Which would be nice.

[lilfishi22]

How old is this guy?

24 I think... Which is 2 years younger than Dwayne Jones

Still room to grow. Jones seems more proven but. I dunno how the Chinese league compares with the D-League but Jones was a beast when he was in the D-League.

[DBrimstone]

I could see them bringing him in over Dowdell still. They'd only owe him like 400,000 and we'd still be under the tax. If the season tanks, you hopefully make him and Jones look like decent trade assests for a team in need of depth at center, or just work him into being a contributing bench player and move Frye to the 4 next year. Not much to lose by bringing him in

[lilfishi22]

What's the deal Jannings is on? I read it's multi-year but it's also un-guaranteed so he would just as well be a training camp invitee like Dowdell.

[BurningHeart]

Let's see what he's got.