Phoenix Suns: 5 early observations from the Jay Triano era

3. Tony Buckets living up to his nickname

We’d be remiss if we went any further without mentioning T.J. Warren, who has seen one of the more dramatic transformations over the last five games. Though some of that was just Warren chipping away at rust following a concussion in preseason action, the stark contrast in his numbers before and after the coaching change is pretty clear:

• Before: 13.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 0.3 BPG, .444/.250/.667 shooting, -19.7
• After: 20.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.2 BPG, .568/.167/.783 shooting, +6.0

This includes a 20-point, 11-rebound effort that carried Phoenix to victory against the Brooklyn Nets after going scoreless at halftime, and then a career-high 40 points (16-of-22 shooting) and 10 rebounds in a win against Washington the following night.

Warren put up 19 points in the third quarter to help the Suns claw their way back into a game where they trailed by 22 at one point in the first half. In the Brooklyn game, it was 14 fourth quarter points that helped carry Phoenix’s offense.

Many thought Tony Buckets’ four-year, $50 million extension was a hefty price for a potential sixth man. So far, Warren is making it look like a bargain, even if he is relegated to bench duty one day down the road.