Phoenix Suns: 10 Takeaways From The 2014-15 Season (Part 1)
10. T.J. Warren Shows Promise
You could apply this to Archie Goodwin as well, but anyone who’s familiar with the team has been craving for him to get minutes since last season. Rookie T.J. Warren, on the other hand, really sort of came out of nowhere. Everyone knew he could score in college, but would that nose for the basket translate to the NBA?
To spare you the suspense, yes, it did. His final season averages of 6.1 points and 2.1 rebounds per game don’t leap off the page, but considering he only played 15.4 minutes a night and shot an extremely efficient 52.8 percent from the floor, the signs are promising for this 21-year-old.
On such an iso-heavy offense (more on this in a bit), Warren was a breath of fresh air because of the simple things he did like cutting and moving without the ball. In that respect, the Suns rookie displayed more offensive know-how than half the roster, which can either be interpreted as great news for Warren’s individual potential or really disappointing news for the Suns’ offense in general.
Either way, Warren’s nose for the basket seems to be as fine-tuned as ever. His floater is lightyears ahead of players his age and he knows how to finish around and under the rim — a very helpful tool considering a lot of Warren’s cutting led him to right beneath the basket.
That’s not all Warren can do, however. Though he still struggles from time to time with help defense, as most rookies do, Warren usually held his own when it came to on-the-ball defense. He’s a smart player who knows how to read the opposition and has enough athleticism to make plays when the situation calls for one:
Warren is also showing promise with his ability to read the ball on the offensive end of the floor. Cutting to the open spot is one thing, but finding your teammates for open looks is another. On this read to Archie Goodwin, Warren draws the defense in and hits Goodwin with a spot-on bounce pass that leads to a monstrous dunk.
If you’re a Suns fan, these kinds of highlight plays, though limited, are what will get you through the disappointment of missing the playoffs again. The future is coming, and it looks good.
Next: No. 9