Tyus Jones cites ‘fit’ for joining Suns, hints at how Budenholzer’s offense will play
Aug 1, 2024, 9:42 AM
If the Phoenix Suns offense in 2024-25 hits an explosive gear that everyone expected a season prior, Tyus Jones and Monte Morris will receive a majority of the credit for how it ends.
But offensive execution starts with the new Mike Budenholzer-led coaching staff.
Regardless of how to credit any improvements from the Frank Vogel era, the expectations are again that Phoenix should challenge to be one of the best offenses in the NBA.
On paper, the Suns have to be that to make up for the roster construction issues that can lead to worries about defending bigger wings, rebounding, and generally, things that begin with size.
So the identity has got to be this: The 2024-25 Suns need to increase their three-point rate, move the ball better than last year and find more space for Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal to operate in the midrange.
“If you kind of look how the league is trending, teams are playing smaller, teams are playing faster,” Jones told reporters at his introductory press conference Wednesday. “Scoring is at an all-time high, three-point shooting is at an all-time high…. the fit (with me) is there, I think it’ll work. I look to continue those trends.
“We want to play faster, we want to continue to score at a high rate, be efficient. We want to be an efficient basketball team.”
Jones used the word “fit” 11 times over about 10 minutes Wednesday.
Suns fans do not need a massive explainer about how a true point guard can help the offense. But quickly:
His play a season ago with the Washington Wizards in a career-high 29 minutes per game made him worthy of an eight-figure contract: 12 points on 49% shooting, seven assists and a turnover.
Instead, “fit” was the reason he opted to take the veteran’s minimum and join a Suns lineup needing a starting point guard. Phoenix’s opportunity mattered, and so did the family feeling. Maybe most importantly, he was recruited by fellow Duke product Grayson Allen — it should be pointed out Allen did so while surely knowing Jones landing in the Valley meant he would lose his starting role after a career year.
“I’m a competitor. Want to win. Want to compete, want a chance to lead and so the role that was offered up here, it’s hard to pass up just from conversations with Josh (Bartelstein), with James (Jones), with Mat (Ishbia), with Coach Bud,” Tyus Jones said. “They did a great job recruiting me but ultimately the role for myself, I felt the fit was perfect. You look at the roster, it speaks for itself.”
Jones, like Morris, has a career history as a low-turnover player. He’s twice set an NBA record for assist-to-turnover ratio and has led the league in that category for five years in a row.
But he’s also got a case as one of the league’s most underrated pure playmakers. Last year on a struggling Wizards team, Jones ranked seventh amongst a bevy of stars in terms of assist percentage (34.6%), an estimated percentage of teammate field goals assisted by him while on the floor.
The only players with a higher assist percentage: Trae Young, Tyrese Haliburton, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Cade Cunningham.
The players with an assist percentage just behind Jones: Domantas Sabonis, James Harden, Jalen Brunson, Chris Paul, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Devin Booker.
Surely that number would drop in Phoenix even with heavy minutes.
Maybe defensive concerns are generated with Jones bumping Booker and Beal to the wings. But there’s little doubt Jones’ profile will alleviate some offensive pressure on that pair and Durant as Suns fans called for all last season.
“Talking with coach Bud, how he envisions me kind of fitting in (is) kind of being the orchestrator, being the playmaker, trying to make it easier for Book, KD, Brad and the rest of the guys, honestly,” Jones said. “Ultimately just doing what I do and that’s being a point guard, being a leader. Again, the fit was there, the fit was perfect.”
Again, Budenholzer’s job will play an important role in this after a 2023-24 season full of junky-looking offense.
It sounds like he’s ready to bump the tempo, increase the spacing with three-point volume and — more simply — get his team to run better offense compared to last season.
“Touching the paint for sprayouts, pushing the pace, kick-aheads, just moving the ball side-to-side,” Jones said of how he can help. “Second-to-third side possessions I think will be huge for us just making the defense work. Again, we got a lot of firepower, lot of offensive weapons, so not letting the defense off the hook. Making them work for a full shotclock … ultimately picking the pace up, moving the ball. That starts with me setting the tone.”