When Grayson Allen walked in the room, there was a noticeable difference.
Grayson Allen made his second consecutive Phoenix Suns Media Day appearance on Monday, and this time it wasn’t on the heels of being traded to the team. A year ago, Grayson was still absorbing the whirlwind of emotions that came after being traded from the Bucks to the Suns as part of Damian Lillard trade.
This year, it was clear that he had a productive summer in preparation for the season. Because GA walked in jacked.
Grayson Allen in the building.
Said he helped recruit Tyus and is happy he’s on the team and as the starting point guard. “I couldn’t be more excited with our team and what comes with that (him starting).” pic.twitter.com/fBC1HcrJin
— Zona (@AZSportsZone) September 30, 2024
I find that, of all of the players interviewed last season and this season, Grayson is my favorite. I enjoy his candid nature, and his willingness to give in-depth answers versus generalities and blanket statements. He once again got into the “why” and “how” as it relates to his recent body changes.
“This offseason I started lifting a little bit sooner than I had in the past,” Allen stated. “The goal for me, ever since four years ago now when I had my hip injury, was to continue to build strength. Lower body. Have a good base. I’ve always felt good with a little bit more strength, a little bit more weight, a little bit more muscle.”
Yeah. A lot of muscle. Grayson looks like he could be in that Mr. McMahon doc on Netflix. What would his wrestler name be?
It’s clear he put on muscle. How much? He chuckled as he said, “I know my listed weight is still like 195 (pounds). I’m nowhere close to that.” When asked what he was at now, he said, “Around 230. So, we might need to finally update that.”
35 pounds of muscle? That’s like a cinder block. Or a four-year old.
Why did he bulk up?
“A lot of game-to-game soreness. Being stronger helps with that. Being able to guard bigger guys, being stronger helps with that. I’ve had a lot of little injuries — hamstring injuries, hip injuries. Each year I’ve gotten stronger. I’ve played more games, played more minutes. Last year being 75 games. I just think that having that base of strength has helped me a lot with durability throughout a season.”
There are byproducts of bulking up as well. Allen’s role will change this season as he no longer will be part of the starting five. He will become a bench player, and despite having a career year from beyond the arc, will be utilized in a different capacity to help this roster.
Grayson acknowledged as much on Monday, noting the benefits of gaining some poundage.
“I’ve done a lot of screening and rolling in the preseason which is a little new for me,” Allen stated. “I think if you look around the league, a lot of teams that are having success offensively kind of have position-less basketball. I think that will help with a lot of our switching if matchup-dependent guys setting screens, but not just setting screens to get the switch but setting the screen to get an attack out of it. Being a good screen, having angles.”
Developing the ability to set solid screens will do more than just free up his teammates for open looks; it will also expand his own offensive versatility. A well-executed screen forces defenders into tough decisions, creating space not only for others but for himself as well. If he can master the art of rolling to the basket effectively, he will become a dual threat, either drawing defensive attention away from the ball handler or finding himself in prime position to capitalize on his own scoring opportunities.
This skill would make him a more dynamic asset in the second-offense, turning simple pick-and-roll actions into multi-layered attacks that keep defenses on their heels.