Tracking 40, Week 1: Suns enter the “Bud Zone” with increased three-point volume

We knew the threes were coming—and they certainly arrived.

40%. It’s the number I mentioned earlier this month as one to watch closely this season, and I’ve decided to create a series to track the Suns’ progress against this target. The goal? To see how the Phoenix Suns are performing in relation to their preseason objective of increasing three-point attempts.

Each week, we’ll take a look at how the Suns are performing from beyond the arc. Sure, we’d love to see the team shoot 40% from three, but that is an anomaly. How many teams have shot over 40% from three-point range as a team for an entire season? Six.

1. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls: 42.8%
2. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors: 41.6%
3. 2009-10 Phoenix Suns: 41.2%
4. 2000-01 San Antonio Spurs: 40.7%
5. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls: 40.3%
6. 2003-04 Sacramento Kings: 40.1%

It’s a hard number to get to. For comparison, 15 teams have shot between 39.0% and 39.9% in NBA history, with the Suns doing it 4 of those times.

But that’s not the 40% we’re monitoring this season.

Yeah, we’ll note how the Suns are shooting week-to-week from three, but that’s not what I’m interested in this season. I’m interested in the total volume. What percentage of shots are the Suns taking of the three-point variety?

It’s a number that has yet to be reached in the history of the Suns, and in an era in which the three-ball is king, Phoenix has been paupers. Yeah, the Suns led the charge during 7SOL but have since been under the league average as it relates to the percentage of three-pointers taken. With the talent they currently have, that can’t happen.

Week 1: 47.5%

The Suns fired off a total of 240 shots during their Week 1 slate, which featured wins over the Clippers and Mavericks, though they fell short against the Lakers. Of those shots, 114 came from beyond the arc. Eureka!

The volume is in the Bud Zone, and that percentage sure is looking nice. The team shot 40.4%, which early in the season has them tied for fourth-best in the NBA from beyond the arc. This should come as no surprise. The team, with the same core lineup last season, was fifth in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage.

The Suns average of 38 three-point attempts ranks them 12th in the league. It just goes to show you how often teams are taking the blueprint and sticking to it.

As for members of the team, for those who have played in all three games, here is who is taking the most three-pointers as a percentage of their total shot attempts:

• Ryan Dunn: 72.2% (making 46.2%)
• Royce O’Neale: 68.8% (making 27.3%)
• Monte Morris: 60% (making 33.3%)
• Devin Booker: 54.8% (making 43.5%)
• Tyus Jones: 48% (making 41.7%)

That’s right. Ryan Dunn, taking the lead in shooting the majority of his shots while hitting nearly 50% of them. Just like we drew it up in the offseason.

One interesting thing of note is this is very out of character for Devin Booker. Granted, the sample size of one week is small, but the highest percentage of total shots from three-point range that he’s ever taken in his career was 36.4%, and that happened all the way back in 2017-18. That was also the year in which he had his best year from three, hitting 38.3%.

There’s a chance that, for Booker, an increased three-point volume could translate into a higher shooting percentage this season.

Ultimately, the most critical statistic is wins, and the Suns closed out Week 1 with a solid 2-1 record, giving them a winning percentage of .667. If their heightened focus on three-point shooting has contributed to this early success, then it’s a shift worth embracing. As they continue exploring this emphasis on perimeter play, we’ll be here next week to track their progress and see if this focus on the three-ball continues to bolster their victories.