Now that the logo cards are turned over and the NBA lottery is a wrap, the Phoenix Suns will begin evaluating the best player to take on # 10.
Suns General Manager James Jones took questions about the availability of Suns media, and gave us a look at how he plans to manage the early off-season.
Free agency and the concept will be another being, to deal with the pandemic. But first, James gives his general reaction to the results of the lottery and how he approached the night in the draft.
“Our approach to the concept has not changed. At night we expected to get the 10th pick and we ended up with the 10th pick,” Jones said. “It would have been nice to go to the lottery, but seeing where we are, we will be able to find a really good player at 10. Someone who can add to the capacity of this team and help us steps forward. “
With ridiculous dragons streaming like the wind and dissecting each player, the place at # 10 can really go a long way. For James, he takes things as they come and sees his process trusted in finding the right fit.
“Check what we can control right now.” James continues. ‘We just had to trust what we saw. We need to go back to the feature film and we have seen a lot of it to press what these guys can bring to our team and what they can add to our team. I’m sure as we get closer to the concept, there will be ways for us as an organization as a team as a whole to get closer to the players. It may not be like workouts, but seeing individual workouts. Sharpening of last game recordings. It will be a challenge and you will just have to rely on what you see and worry less about what you project a man will be able to do. ”
After finishing 8-0 in the Bubble, keeping that momentum may be the hardest part in next season. But with the group of players James has, he does not seem to worry about the long dismissal, until next season.
“We have guys who like to play and like to hope,” James says. ‘When you give them free time, they work on their crafts. I think our exercise facility will play a big role in allowing this maximization of this time away from organized activity. ‘
The Suns roster seems almost full of talent from top to bottom, but still has a few holes to fill. How will James evaluate players and what does he look for when he adds to the depth map?
“Our system is a dynamic system,” James said of positive changes in court. ‘If you look at the small improvements we’ve made in the Bubble. Our focus is on handball, offensive handball, moving the ball, sharing the ball, being a team of low turnover.
‘All those things require that guys can think of her feet. Guys who have great ball skills. Not necessarily great ball handling skills, but know how to move their body and how to move the ball and how to split the game. It takes a level of basketball IQ and maturity. ”
James also added, “We just decided that we continue to look every day at the guys who fit our playing style and play for coach Monty.”
Coach Monty Williams seems to be on the same page. Jones, like last years concept and free agency, will continue to add players who can help immediately. Since 19-year-old Deandre Ayton took No. 1 overall in 2018, the Suns have lined up talented college players in Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Ty Jerome, who were all 22 years old at the time of the draft.
“Always looking for experience,” Jones said. “We are always looking for capacity. I do not go on age basis. My experience that the older players are the more experienced veteran players who from day one have a greater capacity to contribute to your team.”
The biggest challenge for James and the Suns this off-season? From the player’s evaluation in the draft and currently on the roster, decisions from afar would seem difficult, but not for Jones.
“It’s a challenge, but to be honest, not so much.” James goes on to say, ‘If you want to set up in the lottery, very few players want group exercises, they would rather do individual workouts. I think the biggest challenge is that these players do not have the ability to record 5-on-5 basketball to run with other parties and other free agents in a gym and stay sharp of a potential timing. ”
Looks like a much improved Suns team in the bubble, to compare the first part of the season to the second … James replies, ‘We had three seasons. We had a season without Deandre. We had a season with Deandre and no Frank Kaminsky and no Aron Baynes. We had a bubble with a different mix of players, but in the first place, our young players had a chance to play together. ‘
Deandre Ayton and the young core finally got some real reps together, but James points out the bigger picture:
“We’ve had three mini-seasons, but overall I think our understanding of our concepts and our consistency was much greater in the Bubble than ever before.”
The bubble bursting with more focus and consistency, leads to an off-season that the Suns can help make the playoffs with the right additions.
