How will the Suns’ offense function next season? Will it become predictable again, like it did last year? The Suns weren’t exactly running a complex offense down the stretch, and far too many possessions ended with a three-point attempt.
From February 1 on, Phoenix went 15–18. And during that span, 46.9% of its shots came from beyond the arc. That ranked sixth in the league. They were also third in the NBA in the percentage of their total points that came from three-point range at 41.5%. That’s something the Suns have to change next season because, quite simply, it didn’t work. They need more ways to generate offense. Having players who can get downhill, attack the rim, and create pressure inside is something this team desperately needs.
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Suns’ CEO Josh Bartelstein was on with Burns and Gambo earlier this week, and he said that “The league right now has evolved so much. Where the league was three or four years ago, where shooting was in high demand…of course you wanna have shooters…if you watch what’s happening now, it’s guys who can get downhill. Get two feet in the paint. It’s guys who can guard multiple positions. It’s athletic specimens who can meet you at the rim and block your shot. You got to be able to attack and play off closeouts and spray the ball around.”
The conversation centered on the acquisition of Miles Bridges and how he could ultimately affect the offense. That naturally leads to another interesting question: Who will be the second-leading scorer on this team next season, assuming Devin Booker remains the top dog? Because if he isn’t, the Suns are going to have a multitude of other problems.
The majority of the community believes Jalen Green will fill that role. In our most recent Suns Reacts survey, 61% of voters picked Green to finish second on the team in scoring. Miles Bridges came in second at 22%.
I agree with the consensus that Jalen Green will be the second leading scorer for Phoenix next season. His talent, combined with his athleticism, should create plenty of opportunities for him to fill that role. Whether he can step into it, embrace it, and execute consistently will be one of the defining storylines of the season.
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I can also see a world where Miles Bridges benefits tremendously from Devin Booker’s presence and the gravity he creates, as well as from what Jalen Green can do athletically. One thing Bridges does better when attacking the basket is passing, and that is an area where Green still has room to grow. Green can get blinders when he sees the rim. When he attacks with the kind of ferocity he possesses, finishing becomes the only objective. The more cerebral approach is understanding that defenses know what he wants to do. When they collapse, opportunities open up elsewhere.
In the same breath, that could also be part of what helps Green become the second leading scorer. Bridges showed in Charlotte that he can be a willing passer on his way to the rim. If Green is cutting from the weak side, he can benefit from those passes and use his athleticism to put an exclamation point on the possession.
Regardless of who finishes second on the team in scoring, I think we’re going to see a much more entertaining version of Suns basketball. Don’t get me wrong, everybody in the arena loves it when the team hits a three. It’s kind of like a home run; everybody gives a high five. What really gets people out of their seats, though, is when beautiful ball movement ends with a slam dunk or an easy two points at the rim. That is something Jalen Green can provide with regularity.
And that may ultimately be the biggest difference between this offense and the one we watched stumble through the end of last season. Phoenix shouldn’t have to live and die by the three-point line anymore. If they want to surpass that 38.5 over on FanDuel, Booker will have to create gravity, Bridges will have to collapse defenses, and Green will have to use his athleticism to punish the openings that follow. The goal isn’t to abandon the three. It’s to create better ones while rediscovering everything that can happen before the ball ever gets there.
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