Former Saint Joseph's standout Rasheer Fleming is in his first season with the Phoenix Suns. (Photo: Aaron Bracy)
By AARON BRACY
Big5Hoops.com
January 20, 2026
PHILADELPHIA – Two seasons ago, Rasheer Fleming was a developing player for Saint Joseph’s who performed well enough in the Hawks’ win over Temple in the inaugural Big 5 Classic championship game to be voted by media as the first winner of the Jack Scheuer “VGH” (Very Good Hoops) Award.
It was a deserved honor for a player who performed in that game just the way Scheuer, a stickler for good basketball, would have loved.
Two seasons later, just about a three-point shot’s distance away from where he was presented that plaque, Fleming sat in the Phoenix Suns’ locker room in preparation for Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Quite the Ascent
It has been quite the ascent for the Camden High product and former Hawks standout.
“It feels great,” Fleming said of returning home. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been back. It’s a great feeling.”
The same could be said for how Fleming feels to be in the NBA. Under the tutelage of former Hawks coach Billy Lange, Fleming developed from someone who wasn’t even among the best players on a star-studded high school team to one who was drafted No. 31 overall following three strong seasons on Hawk Hill.
The 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward has physical, God-given gifts in terms of size and strength and a work ethic to match. He played 101 games in three seasons at St. Joe’s, averaging 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 assists in 31.2 minutes last season. He also connected on 39 percent (62 of 159) from three-point range in 2024–25, certainly enhancing desirability from NBA scouts.
After just missing out on being selected in the first round and a guaranteed two-year contract, Fleming was snagged by the Suns with the first pick in the second round of last spring’s NBA draft. He signed a four-year contract with a reported $6 million guaranteed.
Limited Minutes, But Progressing
His minutes have been limited with Phoenix, a likely playoff team in the Western Conference. Fleming did not play in Tuesday’s Suns win over the 76ers, his third straight DNP-Coach’s Decision, and he is averaging 2.6 points, 1.3 rebounds in 7.0 minutes in 24 appearances. He has hit 20.5 percent (8 of 39) from three-point range.
It’s all part of the process for a rookie who is trying to prove he belongs.
“Learning a lot,” Fleming said. “It’s been a great experience so far for me and the other rookies. We’ve been going through a lot, playing, not playing. It’s a lot learning going on. We all enjoy it.”
“Learning a lot,” Fleming said. “It’s been a great experience so far for me and the other rookies. We’ve been going through a lot, playing, not playing. It’s a lot learning going on. We all enjoy it.”
Suns coach Jordan Ott has been impressed with Fleming’s progress and foresees a bright future.
“He’s taken leaps,” Ott said before Tuesday’s game. “I think the leaps you saw from high school to college, he’s continued. And he has the physicality, he has the length that we all crave at this level. So now it’s getting him up to speed with how the NBA works, the routines of it all. The shooting piece is coming along as it did in college.
“But athletically, to make the hustle plays, loose balls, to get to places where not many people can in the NBA, he’s done it right away in year one. Loved his progress. He’s going to continue to work to get better.”
How to Get on the Court More?
I asked both player and coach what Fleming needs to do to get more minutes.
“Just knowing who I am, offensively and defensively,” Fleming said. “My size, my gifts, my length. Just knowing how to use those tools and play at a good pace and not rush it.”
Said Ott, “Rasheer is a rookie. (He’s learning) knowing personnel, knowing rotations. There’s so little practice time, so little practice reps. And we’re in a good spot. We’ve got a lot of good players. His development over time of learning the league, learning the speed of the game, there’s a little physicality that comes with it that he’s going to pick up.
“And then offensively it’s where does he pick his spots. Can he tag? Can he get on the glass? Can he cut? And then can he make corner 3’s? Those things will continue over time.”
As Ott alluded to, it doesn’t work in Fleming’s favor in terms of minutes that the Suns are a really good team. He certainly needs to make the most of whatever opportunities he gets. Still, with his skills and intangibles, Fleming is going to get opportunities to show what he can do.
And there definitely won’t be any give-up. That’s not the St. Joe’s way of doing things.
Asked for his message to Hawks fans who are following him, Fleming said, “Hey, man, the Hawk will never die. Go Hawks.”
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Aaron Bracy has covered sports in Philadelphia for nearly three decades for various publications and as a freelancer for the Associated Press. His first book, A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks (Brookline), can be ordered HERE. He is working on his second book, which will chronicle the memorable 2000–01 season of Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. It will be published in April 2027. Follow Bracy on social media HERE. Contact him at bracymedia@gmail.com.