During the 2025-26 season, The IkoSystem will scour the NBA for trends and developments. On the docket this week is a look at Phoenix’s playmaking plan, buying stock on Ayton-Hayes island and a spacing fix in Houston’s land of bigs.
What point guard?
The coolest aspect about the relationship between Suns head coach Jordan Ott and his new players — through the robust sample size of media day, training camp and one preseason game — seems to be the thorough understanding of the offense.
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Star guard Devin Booker admitted being impressed with the former Cavs assistant’s view of the evolution of halfcourt execution. Sharpshooter Grayson Allen spoke to the level of preparation, movement and rhythm that Ott requires. Jalen Green raved about pace and the importance of extra possessions. Ott wants to inject speed and rightfully so; the Suns were 19th in time of possession after an opponent made field goal, 24th after a turnover and dead last after a defensive rebound, according to Inpredictable. It all boils down to a rapid system that isn’t predicated on a traditional point guard to succeed.
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This isn’t to say that Ott stepped into the role to save a sinking ship of an offense. Phoenix had a laundry list of issues last season yet they were still ninth in halfcourt points per play, fourth in passes made, 10th in assists and third in 3-point percentage. But the presence of established veterans like Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal played a large role in keeping the 13th-ranked offense afloat, both of whom are no longer with the team.
All roads lead back to Booker, who looked extremely comfortable in a familiar lead ball-handler role over the weekend, dishing out a game-high seven assists and just one turnover in a 103-81 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Green (who will help with the playmaking load) didn’t play due to hamstring management, but pay attention to a few key components in the clip above. Ott’s offense is predicated on constant motion, designed to keep the defense on its toes. The absence of a traditional point guard makes it easier for Booker to get into a halfcourt flow quicker (similar to how the Thunder utilized Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the playoffs).
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As Ryan Dunn (#0) fills the right corner, Dillon Brooks relocates to the opposite one, freeing up Oso Ighodaro to set a screen for Booker well beyond the perimeter. The movement is what is important; the farther Ighodaro’s screen is, the more room Booker has to operate and put Deandre Ayton in a precarious position. Booker needs only two dribbles to get to his sweet spot, notice the low man cheating off Brooks and get an open look.
Because of the efficiency and versatility of Booker’s scoring, his other attributes don’t get discussed as much, but it’s difficult to quantify his playmaking importance. In seven of the past eight seasons, Booker has ranked in the 92nd percentile or better in assist percentage, according to Cleaning the Glass — in conjunction with his sky-high usage and relatively low turnover rate. His assists have jumped steadily over the last five years — tallying a career-best 7.1 dimes in 2024-25 — and there’s no reason that shouldn’t continue.
Booker’s gravity also lends to Ott’s all-encompassing system where anyone can be a playmaker at any point during a possession. Royce O’Neale and Brooks can make plays in a pinch at the forward slots, Collin Gillespie, Green and Allen will help at guard in what looks like a committee approach, with Booker leading the charge.
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There’s quite a bit going on in the possession below; a Nick Richards flare screen for a Booker Iverson cut, an ensuing ghost screen from Allen, who is able to drive into the defense and dish to an open Richards under the basket. So much movement, so much fluidity. The Suns will be a fun watch on League Pass.
Şengün, the secret to Houston’s double-big success
Considering last season’s ace-in-the-hole for the Rockets was playing centers Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams together, doubling down was the only logical next step.
The addition of Clint Capela, a veteran big who provides vertical spacing, solid rim protection and rebounding (and still quite a capable lob threat) gives Houston an extra body to throw in games and allows Adams, who recently recovered from a long-term knee injury, much-needed load management.
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But Şengün, who finished Monday’s game with 19 points and 6 assists in 17 minutes, is the straw that stirs the drink. The absence of Fred VanVleet puts even more onus on Şengün to be a creative halfcourt hub, especially as Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard continue to develop chemistry on the fly. Ime Udoka is using these preseason games to experiment with big combinations, pairing Şengün with Capela, Şengün with Adams and using them as solo operators.
Spacing, especially in lineups that include Thompson or even an average shooter, is paramount. Şengün’s conditioning is ahead of the curve thanks to a busy summer with the Turkish national team and his movement is critical in double-big lineups, giving him license to be a conductor in the halfcourt and put his teammates in optimal positions.
“We’re installing some new stuff offensively, so guys need to know where they need to be when they’re not in the action with the other big,” Udoka said following the 122-113 win. “They can get down in the dunker [spot] and pound the offensive glass, but Alpi’s a really good passer down there, so needs room to operate. [Tonight] was a little slow at times getting to our spots, but we’ll have some good film to show and time to work on it.”
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Houston’s coaching staff may be implementing some creative sets to account for VanVleet’s absence, but its trio of experienced bigs have played against enough defenses to know how to take advantage. Ninety-nine percent of opposing teams will switch to a zone defense against a lineup with negative spacing, as in the play below. It’s on Şengün to position himself away from the middle, allowing Capela to cut and finish a precision lob pass. Capela was one of the better cutters in the league a few years ago but has never played with another big with passing range like Şengün.
The threat of Capela’s cuts opens things up for Şengün on the perimeter, who was able to knock down a pair of 3s against Atlanta. Over the summer, becoming more comfortable with taking and making 3s was a huge focus for the Turkish big, understanding the sheer potential of Houston’s halfcourt attack if he becomes even an average shooter from the arc. Udoka still has to figure out the exact combinations around them, but the outline is there for improvement.
“We had a lot of success last year, so I kind of know what to do,” Şengün said. “And [Steven] Adams knows a lot of things playing with big lineups. So CC [Clint Capela] got used to it so quickly in practices, it’s easy for us.”
Purchasing stock in Ayton-Hayes island
Lakers Nation, hear me out.
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I’m fairly certain the vibes aren’t exactly through the roof after what looks like a ho-hum 0-2 start in preseason, but I come in peace.
Remember, these games are all about process over results — and while the names Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes don’t scream rim protection, there is hope on the horizon for a more robust backline than last season.
According to tracking data, the Lakers allowed opponents to convert nearly 64 percent of field goals within six feet, the 13th-worst mark in the league. Overall, Los Angeles was an average defensive unit, 15th in efficiency, according to Cleaning the Glass.
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Through two games, some of last season’s issues still remain. The Suns and Warriors scored a combined 42 points in transition (Lakers finished 27th in transition points allowed per 100 plays). But we’re talking about baby steps right now, and the Ayton/Hayes pairing has the potential to be solid. The two have combined for five blocks already, not to mention a host of other impressive rotations and secondary/tertiary efforts to seal defensive possessions.
Some context is important, especially this early in the month. This team still needs time to adjust. The most-used lineup that didn’t include former big Anthony Davis played just 49 minutes last season, per tracking data. And that group still had D’Angelo Russell! Toggle lineups that don’t have either Russell or Davis and you’re left with 27 minutes over just seven games together. That’s an incredibly small sample size for such an important aspect of basketball.
Each of Ayton and Hayes comes with his own fine print for better or for worse, but the Lakers have tethered their early-season hopes to them. Ayton possesses the sheer physical attributes of an imposing rim protector but hasn’t averaged over a block a game since the height of the pandemic. He’s still somehow just 26(!) and prefers to hang back in drop coverage, roaming around the nail. Hayes is of a different model, a freakish above-the-rim athlete that plays with an edge. He’s more mobile than Ayton so the Lakers can put him in different positions, with the hope that he rotates quickly to the paint to contest drives. Hayes’ timing on jumps looks quicker, his vertical contest crowds airspace and he appears bigger, which has always been a knock on his impact.
The Lakers are allowing 44 points in the paint per game so far, which would rank second behind last year’s Thunder. It’s nothing (because, preseason) but it’s something. Maybe head coach JJ Redick experiments playing both Ayton and Hayes together for stretches? That’s what these early games are for, anyway, but all is not lost defensively in the land of purple and gold.
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