The signing of point guard Tyus Jones has proved very popular with the Phoenix Suns stars. As they looked ahead to the new season on media day, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal expressed their delight in welcoming Jones to the squad.
The Suns were very limited in who they could add in the off-season. They are currently in the second apron of the luxury tax, with $150m committed to the big three of Kevin Durant, Booker and Beal. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, this is higher than the payroll of 14 teams in the 2024-25 season.
As a result, the Suns front office needed to make shrewd signings to put together a strong roster capable of competing for an NBA championship. They re-signed Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale to longer-term contracts, but veteran minimum deals were all they could add. One of those was Jones, and to get him so cheap makes him one of the best additions in the league.
Jones will likely command a bigger contract next off-season, meaning his stay in Phoenix may only be a year. Owner Mat Ishbia admitted he was surprised they got the deal done but wants to keep him beyond this season. He said, “We didn’t think we had a chance at the beginning, to be honest with you.
“We love having Tyus here, and hopefully, it’s not for just one year.”
Phoenix Suns Stars Heap Praise On Tyus Jones Signing
No More Point Book
For large parts of last season, Booker took on the role of the point guard, sharing these responsibilities with Beal. It produced the best creative campaign of his career, but in an ideal world, the Suns want the 27-year-old to have an increased focus on scoring. Booker averaged a career-high 6.9 assists alongside 27.1 points.
Booker was certainly impressed with the signing and noted that it caught the attention of other players saying, “We can say it how it is. We got him for a steal. I remember the news broke when we were at [Team] USA, and all the guys in the locker room were like, ‘Man, how did y’all get that done?”
Devin Booker on #Suns adding Tyus Jones
“I remember the news being broke while we’re at USA, and all the guys in the locker rooms like, ‘Man, how did y’all get that done.’” pic.twitter.com/PkBmbtpJNh
— Burn City Suns Talk
(@BurnCitySuns) September 30, 2024
A huge problem for the Suns was their poor ball security and proneness to turnovers. Having two shooting guards as the main ball handlers did not help, and this led to very sloppy fourth-quarter performances. The team ranked bottom of the league for fourth-quarter points and 27th in fourth-quarter turnovers. This was the result of not having a game manager for the closing minutes.
However, they acquired one of the best players to alleviate this issue. Jones has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio in each of the last six seasons and achieved the best single-season mark in history last year with the Washington Wizards. He turned the ball over just 66 times whilst recording 485 assists, a 7.35 ratio.
Back to Being Brad
Another player that this signing will greatly benefit is Beal. Many questioned whether he would come off the bench in favour of Jones, but the plan is to start them both in the backcourt. The former Wizards star is excited at the prospect of playing alongside his new teammate, as it allows him to return to a role he is comfortable with.
“I can definitely go back to being the Brad we all have hoped. I’m excited for it for sure. I’m still going to have some ball-handling responsibilities, but obviously not being the focal primary point guard. … Helps all of us, because now we can go back to being our traditional roles and we can flourish.”
Last season, Beal averaged 18.2 points per game, his lowest mark since 2015-16. With less creative responsibility on his shoulders, expect these numbers to increase. It was a frustrating campaign for him in which he suffered from several injuries. He and everyone involved with the Suns will be hopeful of a much more healthy year, which will play a huge part in the side reaching their full potential.
“I can definitely go back to being the Brad we all have hoped.”
Bradley Beal spoke about how his role changes with the additions of Monté Morris and Tyus Jones. pic.twitter.com/I994Q8wlJ1
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) September 30, 2024
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