Phoenix Suns: 5 areas for improvement for youngsters
1. 3-point shooting
Much like the guard play issue, this is more of a roster problem that can’t be solved by tweaking lineups or placing an emphasis on improving this problem area in practice. But with the way the league is going, 3-point shooting is at a premium, and the Suns simply don’t have enough of it.
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At 33.1 percent from downtown, Phoenix ranks 29th in 3-point percentage. It also ranks 22nd in attempts (25.8 per game) and 27th in makes (8.5 per game). Once the innovators of fast-paced offense with revolutionary floor-spacing, the Suns have failed to keep up with the learning curve in their rebuild.
This team already has enough problem areas as it is. The Suns average 13.6 second chance points (ninth), 13.4 fast break points (eighth) and 46.5 points in the paint per game (seventh), they’re being outpaced in every single one of those categories, surrendering 14.5 second chance points (30th), 13.8 fast break points (27th) and 48.5 points in the paint per game (28th).
Combine that with the 37 percent shooting they’re giving up from 3-point range and it’s no wonder Phoenix ranks 29th in defensive rating. Failing to defend the 3-point line and being unable to counter it with 3-point bombs of their own means the Suns are fundamentally outmatched on a nightly basis in the modern NBA.
Davon Reed‘s return in early January will (hopefully) help with this, and Troy Daniels has been a reliable long range gunner. But outside of him (43 percent on 4.8 attempts per game), Devin Booker (38.3 percent on 6.5 attempts per game) and Dragan Bender (37.8 percent on 3.8 attempts per game), this team has no one shooting better than 30 percent from deep while playing regular rotation minutes.
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That makes it impossible to win in today’s NBA, and puts the Phoenix Suns at a disadvantage every time they take the floor. Whether it’s through the draft, free agency or internal development for miserable shooters like Chriss, Jackson and especially T.J. Warren, this team desperately needs more floor-spacers.