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Phoenix Suns: 5 Steps To Reaching The Playoffs

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 21, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Phoenix won 99-87. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 21, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Phoenix won 99-87. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) looks up the court during a free throw attempt in the first half against the Utah Jazz at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Improving Three-Point Shooting

Following their complete roster shakeup at the NBA trade deadline, the Phoenix Suns were the worst three-point shooting team in the league, converting only 29.8 percent of their triples. With the league heading further into this pace-and-space era that Mike D’Antoni‘s Seven Seconds Or Less teams started once upon a time, the Suns suddenly, desperately needed perimeter shooters.

McDonough was not blind to that fact, using his summer to bolster the team with stretch-bigs and perimeter shooters. He re-signed Brandon Knight to a five-year, $70 million extension, retaining a combo guard who shot 40.9 percent from three-point range with the Milwaukee Bucks last season.

Then there’s rookie Devin Booker, an 18-year-old shooting guard who has been labeled as the purest shooter in this year’s draft class. He shot 42.9 percent from three-point range in the preseason, and impressed in a preseason comeback effort that saw him put up 15 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

McDonough also added Mirza Teletovic to a one-year deal in free agency, banking on him being the healthy Teletovic from 2013-14 who shot 39.0 percent from downtown — as opposed to the Teletovic from 2014-15, who dealt with blood clots and saw his three-point percentage drop to 32.1 percent.

The Suns brought in Jon Leuer as well, adding a stretch-big stuck on the outskirts of the Memphis Grizzlies’ loaded frontcourt rotation. Leuer impressed in the preseason, shooting 50 percent from downtown and showing he’ll be a good fit in Phoenix’s more up-tempo offense. There’s also journeyman Sonny Weems, who drained 40 percent of his threes with CSKA Moscow last year.

With the arrivals of Booker, Teletovic, Leuer and Weems, not to mention the return of Knight and internal work to improve from guys like Keef, Bledsoe and even Archie Goodwin, the Suns have the shooters to spread the floor and open things up for their penetrators. Now Phoenix just has to knock down open looks, which need to stem from increased ball movement.

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