Suns update: Two-way player Ish Wainright making first career start Monday at Mavericks
DALLAS – Phoenix Suns two-way player Ish Wainright will make his first career start for Monday's game at Dallas (11-11).
Averaging 4.3 points this season, Wainright is in his second NBA season. The Suns started Dario Saric the previous two games for Torrey Craig (groin), who is out along with Chris Paul (heel) and Duane Washington Jr. (left hip).
Saric is coming off a season-high 17-point effort in Sunday's win at San Antonio, but Wainright may prove to be a better matchup against the Mavericks.
This will be the 14th consecutive game Paul won’t play, after he grabbed at his foot trying to get around a Paul Reed screen in Phoenix’s loss Nov. 7 at Philadelphia.
The Suns (16-7) are listing the veteran All-Star point guard out with a sore right heel. The Suns are 9-4 without Paul as Cameron Payne has started in his place.
Payne is averaging 15.2 points, 7.1 assists to 2.3 turnovers and shooting 41.7% from 3 in his 13 starts.
Craig has missed the last two games with a strained right groin.
Washington, a two-way player, played three minutes Sunday against the Spurs.
The Suns have been without Cam Johnson since he suffered a torn right meniscus Nov. 4 against Portland and haven't had Jae Crowder all season.
Crowder and the Suns "mutually agreed" he wouldn't attend training camp as Phoenix has been trying to trade the veteran forward.
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns update: Ish Wainright making first career start Monday at Mavs
