Phoenix Suns are quietly excelling in one key area

The Phoenix Suns have started the new NBA season off with some tough losses, but this was always to be expected as the rebuild around Devin Booker. Head coach Jordan Ott's refusal to give the rookies on this roster more minutes in the early goings has frustrated fans, despite having a valid reason as to why he's kept them on the bench.

Any team that is 1-4 is going to be struggling in several important statistical areas, and the Suns are no exception. They're the third worst defensive team in the league right now - allowing over 120 points each night - while offensively they also sit in the bottom 10. Booker is doing all he can to keep this team competitive, but when he goes to the bench it is hard to generate offense.

Suns are taking a ton of 3-pointers in early goings of season.

Yet coach Ott deserves some credit for how he is trying to keep his game plan as modern as possible, despite having limited tools to try and achieve this. He's already spoken many times about the team creating their identity on the defensive end, and so far that has been a struggle. Less spoken about - but just as important - is how he has leaned into 3-point shooting.

Right now the Suns surprisingly sit behind only the Boston Celtics in 3-point attempts each night, hoisting up 45.2 per game. Coach Ott hoping that the math will eventually work in his favor and that enough of these shots will go in that the Suns will win a few more games. It is sound logic, the results just haven't been there yet.

The team are making 35 percent of these efforts, which at 16th in the NBA sits just below league average. If anything that combination of efforts to makes from deep goes a long way to explaining the shortcomings of the team, while it also explains why coach Ott has started both Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale while Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks are out injured.

The pair have similar skill sets that include being sharpshooters from deep - and although both will come off the bench when the group is fully healthy - the inclusion of both right now shows just how committed coach Ott is to 3-point shooting. Combined they're taking over 18 efforts from beyond the arc each night, with only Brooks (10.3) attempting more.

Booker sits behind both at 7.3, and if anything you'd like to see him take some of those Brooks shots when they're together on the court again. Playing Allen and O'Neale means giving up size and points, yet that hasn't stopped coach Ott from sticking with them. The Suns are going to keep shooting it from deep no matter who is out there, and eventually the numbers will turn in their favor.