JJ Redick would have meant huge changes for the Phoenix Suns
By Adam Maynes
J.J. Redick recently told the Zach Lowe podcast that the Phoenix Suns made a run at him immediately after they signed Trevor Ariza. Redick turned the Suns’ offer down, but it would have been meant huge changes if he had signed.
The Phoenix Suns are moving in the direction of the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.
Beginning most importantly with the potential of their star guard running point, out of position (Devin Booker playing akin to James Harden – as I have advocated for for sooooooooo long), and with the acquisition of Trevor Ariza and eventual trade of Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss for Ryan Anderson and De’Anthony Melton, the Suns are moving towards an outside-shooting, athletic, and veteran-laden team, who wants to shoot the lights out and pound the defense inside when it is stretched too thin.
For a team who for several years now has been both far too young, suffered from God-awful shooting, and needing an offensive spark that can help Devin Booker in the backcourt, adding J.J. Redick would have helped with all of that.
Signing one of the league’s best 3-point shooters in history, would have meant Phoenix adding the perfect backcourt-mate to Devin Booker, as Redick’s shooting would have taken significant offensive pressure off of Book, while stretching defenses to the point of breaking, allowing Deandre Ayton as much one-on-one play in the post as absolutely possible.
Much like both Ariza and Anderson, Redick would have used his exceedingly deep range to his personal advantage, allowing the offense to follow directly in the footsteps of the Houston Rockets, who take as many 3-point shots as would be possible in a single game.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns averaged 27.9 attempts per game in 2017-18, 20th in the league. But worse, while making them at a 33.4% clip, they were last in the NBA.
Houston was 13th in percentage at 36.2%, although on 42.3 attempts per game, they lead the league by a wide margin.
Obviously a team wants to be as efficient from 3-point range as possible. The Golden State Warriors, for instance, were 16th in attempts at 28.9 per game, although first in percentage at a ridiculous 39.1%.
Yet beyond that, based in large part on their epic 3-point shooting, the Warriors and Rockets were one and two, respectively, in scoring last season at 113.5 and 112.4 per game – while the Suns were a very distant 21st overall at 103.9 per game.
Because of the Western power’s shooting too, they both offered a much more wide-open lane to drive and overall ball movement (a calling card of new Head Coach Igor Kokoskov’s) allowed for constant penetration to the cup.
The Warriors and Rockets too were one/two in 2-point field goal percentage at 56.0% and 55.8%, with the Suns a disgraceful 24th overall at 49.2% from within the arc.
By jacking up 3’s at an efficient rate, Deandre Ayton would almost never have to worry about too much defensive pressure in the post, and with any double-team coming his way, would always have his eyes on the arc where an efficient shooter would have been wide-open.
Redick, who has shot a mind-boggling 43.9% from 3 over the past four seasons on 6.0 attempts per game, would have been the perfect starting compliment to Booker and Ariza, who each – we can assume – are too going to take 3’s whenever open and available.