Phoenix found some more depth with two-way players TyTy Washington and Jalen Bridges.
Although the Phoenix Suns were without Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal in Wednesday’s 127-104 loss, they found some bright spots with TyTy Washington Jr. and Jalen Bridges. Washington Jr. played 16 minutes in the game and had eight points, one rebound, and one assist. He knocked down two three-pointers in the game. For Bridges, he posted one point and one rebound in six minutes of action.
Some of the Suns rookies have elevated the team morale like Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro. While they’ve received more abundant playing time, both Washington and Bridges took advantage of the scarce opportunity. Both players are two-way players, meaning they’re eligible to play with both the Phoenix Suns and the Valley Suns, the G-League affiliate.
At any time, those guys can be elevated to the main roster. For Wednesday’s game, the injury report was piled high. On top of Durant and Beal, Grayson Allen was ruled out. Also, center Jusuf Nurkic only played 17 minutes, as he was trying to play through an ankle injury.
TyTy Washington making the most of his role with the Suns
TyTy Washington Jr.
8 pts in 4 minutes off the bench! pic.twitter.com/IaY5o1uMBf
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 14, 2024
As the game was getting out of hand, Budenholzer waved the white flag and sent in Washington and Bridges. Both players contributed nicely, which might’ve been a surprise for Suns fans, but not to Budenholzer. Following the game, he spoke to AZCentral’s Duane Rankin candidly about how Washington’s hard work is paying off.
“He’s been good in practices, good in the G-League games,” Budenholzer said. “We like to reward that work.”
Washington is familiar with the NBA in his third season. After showing promise with Kentucky basketball, he was drafted 29th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2022 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, before being sent to the Houston Rockets. In his first season, Washington posted 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game in 14 minutes of action. He also started two of the 31 games he played.
Eventually, he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-way contract last season. His statistics dropped off, mostly due to a lack of playing time. However, his three-point shot improved, shooting 33.3% compared to 23.8% in his rookie season. Although there’s only been a one-game sample size, Washington’s shooting looked impressive, to say the least.
Washington reflected on his performance and remained humble when asked about it.
“It just shows the work I’m putting in is starting to pay off a little bit.” “We’re all professionals here. We know at any given moment we can all get thrown into the game.”
Jalen Bridges’ first game with the Suns showed promise
© Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
For Bridges, his first season in the NBA has been filled with back-and-forth between the G-League and the regular roster. Before we dive in, let’s take a look at his college days. First, Bridges showed promise at West Virginia by being a three-and-d player. After two seasons, he transferred to another Big 12 school with Baylor basketball. In his final two seasons, Bridges’ potential showed.
In his two seasons with Baylor, he averaged 11.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. He also shot 48.4% from three and 37.8% from three. His three-ball developed nicely with Scott Drew as his head coach. However, Bridges went undrafted but proved himself within training camp. The versatility on defense, as well as offense, fits nicely with Budenholzer’s system.
Fast forward to November and Bridges earned his first NBA minutes. When the injuries go away, it might be unlikely that Washington or Bridges remain on the active roster consistently. Regardless, Bridges said to Rankin that he’s thankful for the NBA journey that officially began in Sacramento.
“I’m blessed, man,” Bridges said. “Knowing my journey, and where I come from. I think I’m the first active player from the state of West Virginia in like six, seven years.” “My family group chat is going crazy right now.”
Any silver lining from Wednesday’s game could be attributed to Bridges and Washington. The two-way guard and forward have a legitimate spot on the roster if injuries persist.