Strawberry impressing Suns

TUCSON - There was a lot of talk here this week about Shawn Marion’s trade request, Amaré Stoudemire’s surprise knee surgery, Boris Diaw’s slimmer midsection and Grant Hill’s initial immersion into Suns basketball.

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But the real talk of training camp surrounded that rarest of species, a Suns rookie.

And while first-round pick Alando Tucker finished camp strong with an improved shooting touch, many of the whispers and nods were saved for D.J. Strawberry, who was passed over 58 times before the Suns greedily snatched him up just before draft night ended.

He’s been a quick study when it comes to the system. His ball-handling skills and decision making have turned heads. But his ability to consistently pester Steve Nash in scrimmages is what brings the smiles.

“D.J. has shown he’s here to play,” said Suns coach Mike D’Antoni, who usually plays rookies as often as Nash cuts his hair. “Both our rookies are four-year college guys so we knew they would be quick learners. But D.J., in particular, has shown he has what it takes to be a top defender. And if you are looking for minutes on this team, defending will get you there.”

The son of former baseball star Darryl Strawberry and nephew of former University of Arizona basketball great Miles Simon played 111 games for the University of Maryland, which played an up-tempo style and plenty of pressure-cooker games in the Atlantic Coast Conference. And at 6-foot-5, he could give the Suns another perimeter defender against the league’s top guards.

Even his shooting touch, long a liability, has improved under the watchful eye of Suns assistant Phil Weber — although there is still a ways to go.

“It’s my first camp, and I’m just trying to soak up as much information and tips as I can and make sure I learn from it all,” Strawberry said. “I understand what kind of team I’m on and what goals we have.

“How many people get this kind of opportunity to play with Steve, Shawn, Grant, Raja (Bell)? You’re crazy if your ears aren’t open all the time for whatever you can pick up. I’m just trying to emulate Steve as much as possible and make him work hard. I know I’ll make mistakes, but no one is going to have to tell me to work hard or play defense.”

The Suns have Hill, Marcus Banks and Leandro Barbosa as candidates to run the team when Nash is on the bench. But while Strawberry’s initial impact will likely come as a two-guard, there are also signs that he might have the instincts to play the point some day.

“He has the qualities, but right now he’s a wing for us,” D’Antoni said.

Strawberry and Tucker have become fast friends, linking up at the Vegas Summer League after the draft and coming to Phoenix as early arrivals for precamp workouts.

They have been the targets for the usual rookie hazing rituals — the two were sent singing, barking and hollering through a restaurant on Wednesday night — but have irritated the veterans by actually enjoying the tasks.

Hey, Alando and I figure if we have to do it, we might as well have a good time,” Strawberry said.

“But we know this is just the beginning. They’ve already told us that it’s a long season, so we know we’ve got plenty more of that stuff ahead.”

BONUS SHOTS: D’Antoni said he was pleased with the work his team put in during the camp, and that the players rounded into shape quickly. Also, it took little time to incorporate veterans Hill and Brian Skinner into the system.

“We’re way ahead of last year (when training camp was held in Europe) because we didn’t get a chance to do classroom stuff and break things down,” he said. “We had a great camp last year, but more for the experience than for preparation.”

None of the three nonroster players – Richie Frahm, Rawle Marshall and Doug Thomas — appears to have done enough for the Suns to consider keeping more than 14 players. But the high-flying Thomas did have his own rooting section at the intrasquad game Saturday — one fan holding a sign imploring management to “Sign Doug Thomas.”