Mike Budenholzer has a radical view of 3-pointers: Here’s how Suns might increase their volume
Oct 17, 2024, 9:29 AM

Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns attempts a three point shot against Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Footprint Center on April 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Stretches of high-percentage shooting felt more effortful than necessary for the 2023-24 Phoenix Suns. Sometimes it was Kevin Durant, Devin Booker or Bradley Beal making lemonade out of bad offense.
But even when the ball was moving, it felt like the Suns had to work 50% harder than their opponents to keep the score close to even. Sometimes, they needed 50% more effort simply because they were exchanging twos for threes.
Phoenix has made it clear with opening day less than a week away that it will do everything it can to not fall into that disadvantaged bucket again under first-year coach Mike Budenholzer.
He was asked Wednesday if he thought the always-increasing 3-point attempts are good or bad for the sport. Budenholzer’s answer wasn’t surprising in the context of his history as an NBA head coach, but it further affirmed that these Suns will let ’em rip from deep.
“I would say it’s a good thing. I would say our sport is in a good place,” Budenholzer told reporters. “The skill and talent of our players is in a great place. It’s to me mind-boggling what our guys can do. I’m assuming if I’m a fan and I’m watching at home, I think that’s what entertainment is: when you’re kind of put in shock or awe by what people can do, whether it’s singing or acting or whatever it is.
“The range and the skill and how these guys play, I think it creates more space to be more athletic and dynamic going to the basket. I might be to one end of that spectrum, but I think it’s beautiful and great for our sport. I respect people that maybe think (the) opposite, but I’m pretty far (biased) to what our players are doing and the range and the skill. I couldn’t be happier with it, to be honest with you.”
So there you go: If Phoenix’s 3-point attempt volume reaching 52, 47, 46 and 39 in its first four preseason games didn’t tell you as much, now you know from Budenholzer’s mouth.
How can the Suns increase their 3-point volume? Keep eyes on Jusuf Nurkic and Kevin Durant
Phoenix’s 3-point shot volume can amp up in a few ways.
Booker and Beal can add an attempt or two more themselves. Rotation pieces Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen down to rookie Ryan Dunn will be tasked with getting them up to space out the court if the Suns’ stars must go into middie mode.
But the evolution from the NBA perspective starts at the non-traditional shooter positions.
“Robert Horry is my example of a guy that changed the game and won a lot of championships when you have a four-man that can step out and start making threes,” Budenholzer said. “So the evolution of four-men and then five-men and bigs that can shoot, I think that was a moment in the sport.”
Budenholzer has been present at key moments of change in the individual games of two already-established starting centers: Al Horford with the Atlanta Hawks and Brook Lopez with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Horford took 29 threes combined in his first six seasons, 36 in his seventh season alone and then bumped it to 256 in just the 2015-16 campaign. The veteran has hit triple-digits every year since.
Lopez picked up the 3-point attempts over two years with the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers before landing in Milwaukee with Budenholzer. There, the rate bumped from a career-high 387 prior to a still-standing career-high 512 in the first season with the Bucks.
Now in Phoenix, center Jusuf Nurkic is expected to boost his attempts. He’s never taken more than 2.3 per game and only has eclipsed the 100-attempt mark for a season in 2022-23 with the Portland Trail Blazers. Expect more than the 90 he fired up last year.
But I will argue that the most intriguing shift is with Budenholzer’s four-man, Durant. His 3-point total for a full season has never even reached Lopez’s career-high — Durant took 506 threes in the 2018-19 season, his last with the Golden State Warriors.
Durant took a career-high 6.7 threes per game in the 2015-16 season, his last with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He’s hovered between 4.8 attempts per game to 5.5, but pushing closer to 7.0 could be on the table considering his role, his past and Budenholzer’s philosophy.
Getting buy-in and breaking the trend
Frank Vogel’s Suns last season, similarly to Monty Williams’ before them, weren’t prioritizing 3-point volume.
They ranked 25th in the NBA at 32.6 3-point attempts per game, just 1.4 more than the league-low Denver Nuggets.
It was 9.9 attempts behind the league-leading — and NBA champion — Boston Celtics at 42.5 treys yaken per game.
This isn’t just chucking. It’s coached.
Budenzholer has gone through practices with taped boxes well beyond the 3-point arc to show players that standing a few more steps away from the 3-point stripe opens up more driving lanes and passing lanes.
And if players catch the ball unguarded in those zones, you can be sure the Suns and other teams are coaching players about what’s a good shot versus a bad one in that situation.
There will be a time and a place for those mid-range shots for Booker, Durant and Beal.
But Booker seems bought in and understands the 3-point philosophy.
“I like it. Obviously, you got to take what the defense gives you,” he said before adding the explanation. “Even attempting the 3-point shot, not even making it, stretches out defenses and opens up better looks throughout the game. We have a lot of sharpshooters on this team, too, so volume should be up.”