From hesitation to precision: How the Suns are fixing last year’s flaws

We are seeing a foundational shift in Suns’ basketball.

Last season, the Phoenix Suns desperately needed better ball security and playmaking, struggling in both critical moments and routine possessions. This offseason, James Jones addressed that by bringing in not one, but two skilled playmakers. In the process, he also added players with elite ball-handling and security skills.

The season hasn’t started yet, but through two preseason games, we’re already seeing the vision take shape. Tyus Jones and Monte Morris have lived up to expectations, both showing command of the offense. While their play may not be flashy, it doesn’t need to be. It’s fundamentally solid, which is exactly where the Suns needed to improve.

In just two preseason games, Jones and Morris have combined for an impressive 21-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio over 67.5 minutes of play. It’s almost laughable how different this team is.

The team as a whole still has plenty of room to grow. Despite the elite ball security from Jones and Morris, the rest of the Suns have struggled, committing 18 turnovers against the Lakers and 13 last night against the Pistons. There’s clearly an opportunity for improvement, but at least the two primary facilitators are keeping things steady.

But there’s something else that I’ve been pleased to see thus far this preseason. It’s the quick decision-making.

Last season, one of the Suns’ biggest issues was hesitation. Taking just a beat too long to process what the defense was showing them. In the NBA, that extra split-second is the difference between a clean look and a contested shot, or a well-timed pass and a turnover. It’s all the time an opposing defense needs to rotate, clog passing lanes, and force a reset. That split-second delay made the difference between flowing offense and broken plays, highlighting just how razor-thin the margins for success can be at this level.

With Tyus at the helm, and the surprising effectiveness of Oso Ighodaro, we’re seeing precision passing coupled with quick decisions. It’s like the Suns finally landed the plane on Monty’s .5 offense.

Just watch Tyus and Oso on this play:

“I know bigs that’s been in the league 10 years who can’t do that,” Bradley Beal said of Oso after the win against the Pistons on Tuesday night. “Just catch it in the pocket, take your time and look weakside.”

There’s plenty of room for this team’s chemistry to develop, but having willing passers who make quick decisions keeps the entire offense engaged. Remember what frustrated us last year? Players standing around watching isolation ball? You won’t see that when cutting to the basket is rewarded. Players won’t be idle, because they know they need to be ready — hands up — at all times, expecting the ball to find them at any moment.

“It’s just a feel and understanding,” Jones said on Tuesday. “Kev understanding the spacing, just making a read. That’s how we’re trying to play.”

When you have quality facilitators on the floor, the game relies less on structured plays and more on fluid movement. As Budenholzer once said, “Play fast. Play random. Play together.” That’s exactly what we’ve seen so far, and it’s been evident across the entire lineup. Well, except for Bol Bol.