COMMENTARY : CEBALLOS RISES FROM ASHES JUST IN TIME FOR PHOENIX.

Byline: Joe Gilmartin Phoenix Gazette 

No prodigal Sun ever was welcomed with more open arms than this one.

When Cedric Ceballos left here two seasons ago, the Phoenix Suns had so many other scorers Cedric Ceballos was deemed expendable. But that was then and this is now.

And now his return fills what had become one of their biggest voids - lack of a proven scorer.

How proven?

Well, put it this way. Cedric isn't a forward or guard. And he certainly isn't a center. His position is scorer! And he's wasted no time demonstrating he hasn't lost his touch.

He scored 26 points in his first game back as the Suns beat the Mavericks in Dallas. And in his first game back in Phoenix as a Sun on Tuesday night, he contributed 23 in the victory over the Nuggets.

``There's no way we would have won either game without him,'' assistant coach Paul Silas said.

Never mind that in the end, the Lakers were as glad to get rid of him as they had been to get him. Never mind that defense is his short suit (OK, a void). Never mind that he has been known to pout, and even defect.

The man can flat out score.

And in today's NBA, that makes him a precious commodity. Where the cognoscenti used to sneer at players who ``couldn't do anything but score,'' they now embrace them like, well, like prodigal Suns.

In Cedric's case, the feeling is definitely mutual.

``It felt like I never left,'' he said. ``In fact, I kept waiting for some of the old gang to show up'' ... pause ... ``but they're gone.''

One particular play against the Nuggets was vintage Ceballos. There he was under the offensive basket all but completely surrounded by several large Denver players, but somehow, he squirted up among them and gently tapped in the rebound.

And over on the Suns' bench, Danny Ainge just grinned the biggest grin.

How does Ceballos do things like that? Silas obligingly ticks off the ways.

``The first thing is constant movement, the kind that reminds you of the Havliceks and Bob Loves of the world,'' he said. ``You turn your head, and he's gone by you to the basket.

``Plus, he's a very quick jumper. Not all that high, but very quick. And he also has a quick second jump. And he uses both hands. He also has a sixth sense about whether the balls going to come off the boards long or short, and that's just a gift from the Good Lord.''

What it all adds up to is an unorthodox player.

So unorthodox that the first few times I saw him somehow get the ball in the basket in strange ways from strange angles, I thought he was just lucky. And it turns out I wasn't alone.

``I thought the same thing,'' Ainge said.

The theory is that when superplaymaker Jason Kidd comes off the injured list and takes over at the point, Cedric will really crank up the old point machine.

But, meaning no disrespect to Kidd, Cedric would get his points even with Jason Robards at the point.

But is he really as bad at the other end?

``Well, let me put it this way,'' Silas grinned. ``He tries. Actually, it's sort of a trade off. You've got a guy who can find all kinds of ways to put the ball in the hoop at one end, and at the other you hoped for the best.''

I took that as a ``yes.''

But no matter. The Suns, like many other teams in the league that suddenly can't shoot straight, have a desperate need for points. Or, more precisely, to know exactly whom they can go to for some.

And the fact is he would be welcome even if he didn't even go down to the other end at all.

The addition of a decent outside shot has made Ceballos even more dangerous. The book on him used to be to neutralize his quickness by laying back and giving him the jumper. But that's no longer a very viable option.

Welcome back, Cedric. It does indeed seem like you never really left.

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Photo

Photo: Ex-Lakers forward Cedric Ceballos scored 49 points in his first two games back with the Phoenix Suns.

Daily News File Photo