James Jones throws subtle shade at last year’s Phoenix Suns team

At Media Day for the Phoenix Suns, General Manager James Jones talked about moving forward and not looking back. Except, he did look back with a few statements that could be interpreted as throwing shade at last year’s team.

General Manager, James Jones, took the podium at Phoenix Suns Media Day, and discussed this year’s team. Largely, his comments were relatively mundane, but if you squint and rewind the tape like a scene in a cheesy crime movie where the detective catches something that was previously missed, you can hear Jones hurl some barbs at last year’s coaches and players.

Maybe this was unintentional (I’m sure it was), and maybe this article reads into his comments significantly more than what is actually there (I’m sure it does).

In fact, my 5 low key Media Day highlights criticized writers who extrapolate too much out of these quotes.

However, it is hard to completely brush off some of these statements as exemplification of the “Moving forward and not looking back” cliché he and head coach Monty Williams both repeated.

Speaking about the recent roster additions, Jones said:

"“We just wanted to get some good players.”"

Call me overly cynical, but if I were to have said that line, I would have meant it as a way to lay waste to all the players I shipped off.

It is entirely possible he is much less passive-aggressive than what I’m giving him credit for. Maybe this wasn’t meant as a dis to last year’s group at all, but it certainly isn’t a ringing endorsement of the old squad either.

Talent has been a scarce commodity for the Phoenix Suns in recent years, so it is not a shock the general manager wanted to acquire some more of it this offseason. However, you could easily interpret this quote as, “We just wanted players who don’t suck,” in which case, it is both a shot at those longer with the team and also kind of funny.

"“We have a good mix of people. We can put the playing aside. We have a good group of people.”"

This is probably meant as more of a compliment to his current group than a slight towards the guys from last year, but it is hard not to infer a comparison.

Namely, the two guys who got arrested, Josh Jackson and Richaun Holmes, have been replaced with players who possess clean criminal records. It is one thing to have a losing team, but an altogether different thing to have a losing team associated with police reports.

"“We didn’t give players every opportunity to be successful (last year).”“I (learned) you need a really good coach and I’m just happy we got one.”“I have (Monty Williams) who not only wants to do it and who has done it.”"

Say what you will about who is to blame for the first quote. This very well could have been self-criticism. However, there is no doubt the second and third quotes are blasts at former head coach Igor Kokoskov.

Kokoskov lasted only one season with the Phoenix Suns after posting an abysmal 19-63 record. Judging from these admittedly cherry-picked quotes, Jones seems to think many of these losses were due to Kokoskov’s coaching, and he is ecstatic he now has Monty Williams in place.

"“It’s tough to ask young players to direct a team.”“It’s unfair to bring a 19 year kid into the NBA and expect them to perform at a high level and expect them to lead your team.”“(Deandre needs to understand) it’s about us not, it’s not about him.”"

The Phoenix Suns have a vested interest in Deandre Ayton’s success. This looks like an admission they (whether that was former head coach Igor Kokoskov, fellow players, or Jones himself) put too much pressure on him too early, and it may have affected him.

With the last quote, however, it now seems he wants Ayton to grow out of the burden the team placed on him last season.

“It’s about us, not about you,” is something you tell a selfish player, and there is no indication Ayton is really all that selfish, so it is difficult to say exactly what Jones meant here.

I read it as wanting Ayton to mature, but, you know, no pressure.

Shade or no shade, Jones made one team vision clear:

"“We’ll continue to separate ourselves from the past.”"

Time to rise.