Suns star Kevin Durant shares a problem the team should figure out.
As the Phoenix Suns wrapped up their final day of training camp, forward Kevin Durant echoed a sentiment around the Verizon 5G Performance Center. Shades of high turnovers reminisced from the previous season. Durant spoke with reporters about turnovers needing to be addressed.
“I think turnovers are the emphasis,” Durant said. “I think that with a year to get on the same, it’s been an emphasis since our first meeting with Coach Bud (Budenholzer), it’s just nipping that in the bud. Making sure that we make the correct play and not try to hit home runs all the time. Sometimes you can try to make the right play and end up turning the ball over. So, you want to try to find that balance.”
Luckily for the Suns, they brought in two of the premier ball-handlers at the point guard position. The Suns signed Tyus Jones, after some convincing from Budenholzer and Grayson Allen. They also landed Monte Morris, another elite backup point guard with one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios across the entire league.
Jones had a 7.35 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, the highest of any player in a season since individual turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78. Throughout that time, he has the three highest marks in a season with 7.04 in 2021-22 and 6.96 in 2018-19. On the flip side, Morris has an impressive ratio of his own.
The Suns’ backup point guard landed in the top 5 of that category and 2022-23, he was first in that category with a 5.43 ratio. Before last season’s injury-riddled campaign, he proved to be efficient and careful with the ball. Meanwhile, he was setting up teammates with easy opportunities to score.
Statistically speaking, Phoenix had one of the worst assist-to-turnover ratios across the entire league. They were 24th in the metric, the worst of any NBA Playoff team. To make things worse, they were 25th in the league for turnovers allowed per game. Once again, they had the highest of any playoff team.
Regardless of the turnover discrepancies from the season prior, the Suns are looking to flip the script. Signing two true point guards can help open the offense and spread the ball more efficiently. As Devin Booker says, limiting turnovers starts with an everyday task.
“We know how talented we are offensively but the quicker we can tell, the quicker the communication is open between everybody and holding each other accountable,” Booker said. We’re doing a pretty good job.”
How can Kevin Durant and the Suns fix their turnover issue?
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When Budenholzer signed with the Suns, it already looked like a positive step. He brings in an offensive identity that loves the three-point shot and spacing. However, Budenholzer also has one of the most disciplined offenses. As a two-time Coach of the Year, Budenholzer went to the playoffs for nine seasons. He eventually won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks against his current team, the Suns.
He brings a philosophy that requires energy and precision. With the athleticism and star power on the roster, Budenholzer doesn’t want to change the way they play. Rather, he wants to add to what they already possess. As a result, training camp has been fast, energetic, and simply fun. Suns guard Bradley Beal talked about incorporating Bud’s system and seeing the vision.
“We just playing faster, so that’s what we want to do and that is the type of team we want to be,” Beal said. “We’re doing a lot of running, just making sure we’re in shape and we’re competing at our level. We want to defend at a high level too, but more than anything, it’s just a matter of playing faster.”
The fundamentals are essential even for the older veterans on the team. Beal, Booker, and Durant have made a plethora of all-star games, and All-NBA teams and have won championships. Despite this, the fundamentals are how the superstars stay at the pinnacle of their careers for so long.
As the Suns take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, the first game of preseason basketball will offer a variety of questions. How quickly will the offense adapt to Budenholzer’s system? Will the turnovers be reduced thanks to the system, as well as Jones and Morris handling the rock? Finally, can the Suns play to their true potential offensively? That remains a mystery but fans might get some answers before the NBA season officially tip off.