As has so often been the case for the last three seasons, when the Phoenix Suns were in a jam and needed help from an unexpected source, Grayson Allen was the one to answer the call.
He might not get the plaudits as part of the victory over the Brooklyn Nets while down three starters, Mark Williams deserves that, but he played his part in an important win.
Coach Ott wants Allen to come and get on the ball more
In the aftermath of the win, head coach Jordan Ott was full of praise for Allen, calling him "such a solider" in doing whatever the team needs from him to win games.
Ordinarily that is run to the corner and create space for Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to operate, but with two of those guys injured coach Ott now wants him to look for the ball more.
"Do not run to the corner."
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) January 28, 2026
Jordan Ott when @KellanOlson asked him about his conversation with Grayson Allen in Suns win vs Nets.
"Do not run to the corner anymore. Go get the ball. He's such a soldier and you run into these habits of someone needs to fill the corner. Not… pic.twitter.com/urFm5AQSV4
If you watched the Suns play earlier this season when Green was unavailable with the same hamstring issue that is still bothering him, then you will know exactly why coach Ott wants Allen to do this.
We've already seen him operate as a secondary playmaker for this group, and the results were encouraging. Being such an elite 3-point shooters, defenders always get as tight to him as possible.
Allen remains underrated athletically and while it would be a stretch to say he blows by opponents, generally he can get by an opponent marking him tight and make the right read for a pass.
The need for this skill decreased once Collin Gillespie was inserted into the starting lineup, but with the Suns also down his services versus the Nets, Allen was again called into action.
It is telling that Allen finished the night with the most team assists at six, once again providing the kind of creative spark that was lacking for the Suns.
Coach Ott was clearly paying attention back during the dreary Bradley Beal days, because Allen was the Suns' third best player behind Booker and Kevin Durant during much of that run as well.
Granted Beal was injured half the time, but Allen managed to provide modest secondary playmaking while also leading the entire league in 3-point shooting at 46.1 percent.
Fans keep putting him in mock trades because Allen has both a moveable contract and could clearly provide a boost to a fringe contender.
Only he's also everything the Suns currently need, both when they're fully healthy and struggling for bodies, and it is hard to put a price on that. Look for Allen to get more involved in the coming games.