Phoenix Suns: 5 Takeaways From Season Opener

5. Three-Point Shooting An Area For Concern

In the modern pace-and-space era, the importance of having a three-point attack — and shooters capable of executing it — is paramount. Just look at the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, who met in the NBA Finals last year as the league’s top-two teams in made threes per game.

Unfortunately for the Suns, three-pointers haven’t played a particularly prominent role in Phoenix’s offense under head coach Earl Watson. In 33 games under Watson last year, the Suns ranked 10th in three-pointers attempted (32.4 per game) and 13th in three-pointers made (8.7 per game), but 29th in three-point percentage (32.4 percent).

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That chasm between attempted threes and actually, you know, making them, combined with an offseason to focus on what kind of offense he wanted to run, seems to have taken Phoenix’s emphasis away from the three-point line.

In the preseason, the Suns ranked 29th among all NBA teams in attempted threes (19.5 per game), 28th in made threes (6.2 per game) and 23rd in three-point efficiency (31.6 percent). Wednesday night, the Suns made just four of their 16 threes.

Eric Bledsoe made two of his five attempts, while 18-year-old rookie Dragan Bender supplied the team’s other two threes on his three attempts.

“For me, I just have to be able to hit those open shots,” Bender said. “Being able to stay out there for practice and work on the arc and everything to translate myself to this three-point line as quickly as possible is something I need to do.”

Devin Booker, who was originally pegged as little more than a spot-up shooter entering the 2015 NBA Draft, shot just 30.2 percent from long range in 51 games as a starter last season and went 0-for-3 from deep Wednesday night. He should be fine, given that he’s only just about to turn 20 and has one of the purest strokes in the league; those shots will start falling.

As for the rest of the roster? It’s a little concerning that the Suns’ offense doesn’t include a heavier emphasis on long range shooting, but then again, maybe this team just doesn’t have the personnel for it.