The Phoenix Suns have been perhaps the most enigmatic team in the NBA during the 2024-25 season. Headlines have been made both on and off the court, with a high-profile failed pursuit of Jimmy Butler and periods of both dominance and inconsistency defining their season.
Once the All-Star break concludes, Phoenix must eliminate the tendencies that have nearly derailed their season by remembering that less can be more.
Phoenix has built a star-studded roster that revolves around the trio of Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant. All three players are capable of putting up massive scoring numbers in a hurry, but the issue thus far has been striking the proper balance between them.
If the Suns are going to turn things around, they'll need to embrace more of a team-first approach that allows the stars to exist within a structure instead of controlling every element of it.
The optimistic view is that Phoenix has the personnel to orchestrate such a change, including a proven head coach in Mike Budenholzer. The more realistic take, however, is that Phoenix will need to adjust to a different philosophy.
That all begins with accentuating the strengths of their role players and allowing the superstars to pick their spots instead of forcing the issue.
Suns must empower Tyus Jones to simplify the game for the stars
It's difficult to blame any team for wanting the ball in the hands of Beal, Booker, or Durant on any given possession. Phoenix has one of the best pure passers in the NBA in Tyus Jones, however, and he must take on a larger role moving forward.
By allowing Jones to operate as a primary facilitator, the Suns would open the door for their trio of All-Star scorers to focus more on their primary strengths.
Jones is not only a productive playmaker, but one of the most efficient passers in the NBA. In 2023-24, he averaged 7.3 assists to just 1.0 turnover per game while playing for a less talented Washington Wizards side, and has maintained quality production at 6.0 assists to 1.4 turnovers in 2024-25.
Jones is a stabilizing force capable of more than he's done in Phoenix, and a larger facilitating role could simplify the game for everyone involved—especially Booker.
On the surface, Booker has turned in an impressive 2024-25 campaign. He's averaging 26.2 points and 6.7 assists per game, shooting 45.3 percent from the field and looking the part of the headlining act that he's been hyped to be.
Booker is shooting just 33.9 percent from beyond the arc, however, and has played a rather counterintuitive style by attempting a career-high 7.7 threes per game.
The biggest issue in that regard is that Booker is attempting 4.3 pull-up threes per contest and shooting just 29.8 percent on those attempts. He's burying 39.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot attempts from distance, however, which is exactly why Jones must take on a larger role.
Booker is a phenomenal scorer in every sense, but he's clearly a more effective off-ball threat from a three-point shooting perspective—and Jones can get him the ball in his most efficient spots.
It's not just Booker to whom this applies, as the Suns have mirrored his efficiency as a team. Phoenix is burying just 30.2 percent of its pull-up threes overall, but checks in at an absurd 39.7 percent in catch-and-shoot situations—the second-best mark in the NBA.
By entrusting Jones with the responsibility of creating for others and encouraging players like Booker to stop launching low-efficiency shots, the Suns could turn their season around.