Since taking over, Matt Ishbia has been hard at work shaping the Phoenix Suns under his vision. What began with the Kevin Durant trade is now a year-long transition into a new era in the hope of an NBA title.
Due to roster deficiencies and/or results that didn’t match expectations, the moves have come fast. Firing Monty Williams to sign Frank Vogel was the first step before a trade for Bradley Beal saw Chris Paul go out.
However, the team wasn’t getting the results it was looking for. As a result, after just one season, Vogel is on the outs, and instead, 2021 NBA Champion Mike Budenholzer is taking over at the helm. But the front office wasn’t done there. After a first-round sweep, the roster also clearly needed a shake-up. While most of the same pieces have come back, the latest addition might shift the fortunes of the Suns.
Last season, the offense was one of the biggest hurdles for the Phoenix Suns. Despite featuring three professional scorers in Devin Booker, Beal, and KD, the offense sometimes sputtered. Due to the over-reliance on isolation basketball by the 3, finding a constant rhythm to the offense was challenging. Further, the team tried masquerading its point guard deficiency by running Book at the Point.
However, that experiment wasn’t fruitful. While the team had a decent offense, it wasn’t the humming system that the star power on the team would indicate. Instead, role players barely got adequate touches as it became a one-player cook while the other four watched. This was especially prevalent in clutch-time situations where the three stars seemingly took turns finding a bucket.
As a result, their collapse in the playoffs was visible from a mile away. But their latest move might fix the problem perfectly. On a one-year, $3.3 million contract, Tyus Jones might be the best signing of the entire free agency. In an era where contracts for $60 million a year are becoming common, and role players sign in the $10-20 million range, the price is a hilarious bargain. However, the production might make it laughably bad for other teams when facing Phoenix.
Arizona fans have one of the best pure points in the league today in Tyus Jones. With a career assist-to-turnover ratio of over 5, Jones has always been meticulous with his playmaking.
Whether getting players in rhythm or finding the right open guy, his gift for generating offense is second to none. He was the unsung hero for the Memphis Grizzlies and one of the best off-the-bench creators for years. However, as he transitions to a starting role in Phoenix, he should fit the team seamlessly.
A pure point in every sense of the word, Tyus has a career turnover average of just 0.8 per game. That number doesn’t capture his innate passing ability and efficiency at generating offense. While he’s sensational at finding open looks for his teammates, he is just as effective at creating his shot. A career 49% shooter, Jones thrives off-the-bounce, making pull-up 3s with ease.
Further, despite his size, he is a smart defender, consistently finding himself in the right position and generally causing havoc. Most importantly, the fit makes perfect sense, given the problems the Phoenix Suns have encountered. And it is an opportunity that Jones recognizes, too.
“The chance to play for the Phoenix Suns made the most sense on a lot of levels to me and my family – beginning with the way (Governor) Mat Ishbia and the front office recruited me to how Coach [Mike Budenholzer] showed me how I can significantly impact a team that has a real opportunity to challenge for an NBA title as their starting point guard,” Jones said. “My agent walked me and my family through multiple free agent offers and sign-and-trade proposals at a number of different financial levels. But the Suns’ opportunity is where I can best maximize my value for a return to free agency next year as well as give myself a chance to be part of what I think will be a special team and season.”
Jones is embracing his opportunity with the Suns, and it’s clear given how much of a financial sacrifice the move required. With Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, adding a facilitator like Jones could bring an intriguing balance to this group.
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