Phoenix Suns: Tyler Johnson providing stability to backcourt situation

New arrival Tyler Johnson struggled in his first few games with the Phoenix Suns, but he’s starting to provide stability and take pressure off Devin Booker.

The Phoenix Suns entered the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline needing a point guard, and they emerged from it still needing one. This dilemma was nothing new; it had been the case since Eric Bledsoe started tweeting from the nail salon back in 2017.

The problem is the situation was more dire than ever, with an unfair workload placed on an ailing Devin Booker (the team’s best point guard by default) and a second round rookie in De’Anthony Melton. Phoenix’s 11-45 record was the proof in a pudding that smelled more like something else.

The Suns failed to act with urgency at the deadline, but co-interim general manager James Jones at least somewhat addressed the problem by trading for Tyler Johnson, turning Ryan Anderson‘s DNPs into a combo guard who will only be marginally more expensive over the next year.

Phoenix’s long-term outlook, both for this season and beyond, hasn’t changed much. The Suns still need a point guard to ease Booker’s load in the backcourt, they still have one of the worst records in the league and they’re still miles from postseason contention.

However, despite being officially out of the playoff picture for the ninth straight year, they aren’t phoning it in for the rest of the season, instead opting to use the final two months to develop.

Part of this is because of the league’s reformed NBA Draft Lottery odds, which have reduced the worst team’s odds of snagging the No. 1 pick from 25 percent to 14 percent. If the former lottery odds still existed, you can bet Phoenix’s recent 4-1 streak never would’ve happened during a tank job for the best odds at Zion Williamson.

However, since tanking objectives have changed from securing the NBA’s worst record to one of its three or four worst records, there’s more room for bottom-feeders to try and build positive momentum heading into the offseason.

In this space for improvement and building team chemistry, Tyler Johnson is starting to show his value, particularly as another ball-handler who can facilitate and ease Booker’s load without commanding the rock.

Averaging 10.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in his first 10 appearances for the Suns, Johnson’s numbers hardly leap off the page, and that goes double for his uninspiring .379/.333/.905 shooting splits.

However, those numbers are dulled by his inauspicious start, which saw Johnson struggle heavily on offense. In his first four games, he shot a miserable 7-for-34 from the field and 3-for-15 from downtown.

In the six games since, however, his production has picked up (and these numbers include a six-point effort and a three-point dud):

Obviously we’re dealing with small sample sizes here, but Johnson’s 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting against the Atlanta Hawks, or his 18 points against his former team in South Beach, are nice reminders of what he’s capable of now that he’s getting acclimated.

"“It took some time and it will take some time for him to understand the concept, system, different terminology, a lot of stuff that’s a little bit different,” head coach Igor Kokoskov said. “He wasn’t passive, but he’s, you know, a good guy trying to facilitate, run the offense and play the right way. He’s still playing the right way, but he’s more aggressive, making some shots and feeling more comfortable with what we’re doing right now.”"

Johnson’s purpose on this team isn’t to light up the scoreboard though. There are other ways to help make life easier for Devin Booker, and Johnson is astutely aware of what his role is.

Case in point? Phoenix’s most recent win over the New York Knicks, in which Johnson compiled a quiet 14 points, six assists and four assists on eight shot attempts while Book exploded for a season-high 41 points.

"“What I say is just kind of fill in the gaps,” Johnson said after the game. “These guys are so young and talented, I’m just trying to be able to fill in where I fit in. I don’t want to take too much control or try to dominate the basketball, I want to spread it around and let these guys make plays and do what they do.”"

Johnson isn’t viewed as a traditional point guard or the long-term solution to the Suns’ need at this position, but during his time in Phoenix so far, he’s stacked up 40 assists, 14 steals and only nine turnovers.

That ball control — without being ball-dominant — has made an immediate impact on Booker’s 3-point efficiency, which is at a career-worst 32.9 percent this year.

In 10 games alongside Johnson, however, he’s shooting 35.7 percent on 6.2 attempts per game, with most of them being assisted for a change:

As Bright Side of the Sun‘s Evan Sidery pointed out, Booker is shooting 48.3 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s since Johnson entered the mix. The scary thing is, Johnson isn’t even a traditional point guard; he’s simply a capable ball-handler who understands his role.

Can you imagine if the Suns actually went out and got a legitimate point guard who can facilitate, defend and knock down an occasional 3?

"“As the season goes on, he’ll be more comfortable, more aggressive, be himself,” Kokoskov said. “He can be a point guard, he’s a playmaker, facilitator and we all know he can make shots. So I want him to do all of that.”"

After the Knicks win, Booker acknowledged Johnson’s impact, but also spread the love around to the rest of his teammates as any team leader would.

"“Right, I get to play off the ball some, but everybody’s playing well — Kelly [Oubre Jr.] too,” he said. “Everyone takes a load off me and it’s a big help. Every win that we’ve gotten this year has always been a collective team win.”"

He’s not wrong; Kelly Oubre Jr. has been playing the best basketball of his career, captivating the fanbase while heading for a likely extension in restricted free agency this summer.

Deandre Ayton submitted two of his most well-rounded games yet in wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. Mikal Bridges has upped his playmaking off the bench, Troy Daniels has stepped up when called upon and even Dragan Bender has looked like a real NBA player.

However, for the Suns to take the next step out of the malaise they’ve been mired in for years now, they need to properly construct a team around their franchise stars. Though he may wind up only being a stopgap solution, Tyler Johnson’s immediate impact shouldn’t go unnoticed, since even a combo guard with a career average of 2.5 assists per game is now making Booker’s load infinitely lighter.

"“It makes it a little bit easier when you can just throw the ball to somebody and they put it in the bucket,” Johnson said after Booker’s big night."

Finally, someone in Phoenix understands.