Do you think Jared Dudley has come to terms with the fact that his team has blatantly given up trying to be competetive? He probably knew when he signed his contract to return to the Suns that playoffs were not the end goal of the season, but he probably didn’t expect the veterans of the team to get shut down in March. Is he secretly envious of Chandler, Knight, and Bledsoe, who get to chill out on the bench and whose most pressing in-game concern is riffling through a tub of chewing gum to find the best flavor?
Let’s be real. Dudley does not look to be in game-shape. He hasn’t for a few years now. His tubby cheeseburger-fueled body probably needs the rest more than a top athletic specimen like a Chandler or a Bledsoe. But he’s also the kind of extra-savvy vet that can provide some cohesiveness to lineups that are otherwise bereft of NBA experience. He’s like the template for what “playing the game the right way” can do for a player who’s maybe lacking a little bit in the raw skills department. When the Suns’ young players see that, they can emulate it, and make the most out of what they’ve got (exhibit A: Alan Williams).
And, you know, Dudley’s getting paid ten million per year to play low-stress minutes off the bench and occasionally dispense veteran wisdom, so he probably doesn’t much care what his team is doing or not doing.