For anyone who follows the Phoenix Suns, it appeared that headed into this offseason, the number one goal for this team was to acquire a backup point guard. Someone capable of spelling the aging Steve Nash for 12 to 15 minutes per game. There’s even been talk of having said backup point guard start up to 12 games this coming season in place of Nash.

With one week in August already behind us, and only 50 some-odd days until the Suns report for training camp, still no backup point guard has been signed. The Suns did acquire Slovenian guard Goran Dragic in a draft night trade with the San Antonio Spurs. Dragic wants to be here, and the Suns want him, but there’s that little issue of a contract getting in the way. The Suns can contribute up to half a million dollars toward buying Dragic out of the deal, and as more time passes it looks like that might actually happen.

There was a list of potential free agent signings for the Suns at the beginning of the off season. Tyronn Lue signed with Milwaukee. Anthony Johnson inked a deal with the Orlando Magic. And just this week, Jason Williams took a minimum veteran’s deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Shaquille O’Neal, a former teammate of Lue and Williams, lobbied hard for the Suns to bring in one of the two. They both went elsewhere. So now with names like Sam Cassell, Damon Stoudamire, Lindsay Hunter and Darrell Armstrong (combined age - 149) the most attractive of the slim pickings left in free agency, the Suns have no choice but to negotiate and cross their fingers that Dragic lands in Phoenix.

But with the promise of new head coach Terry Porter to use his bench more, isn’t that putting a ton of pressure on a player that is a huge mystery? How good is Goran Dragic? Sure, he looks like a Manu Ginobili-type on film, but he was a second round draft pick, he did only average 9.4 points per game, and his Euroleague career-high in assists is 5. Everyone seems to think there would be a huge learning curve for Dragic once he enters the NBA. Would that learning curve be conquered in time for Dragic to be that Nash insurance policy?

Everything considered, he’s still a much more attractive option than the stable of geriatrics that are now the only available point guards left. Let’s just say there’s a lot of Suns’ fans out there who hope the front office knows what they are doing.

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