James Jones responds to Phoenix Suns’ lack of point guard depth

The Phoenix Suns went through the 2023-24 season without a traditional point guard on the roster. While they found some success in the regular season, finishing 49-33, the postseason was a different story. Phoenix was quickly swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.

The Suns have done little to address the position this offseason. General manager James Jones recently addressed their lack of depth at point guard. Speaking to Justin Termine and Tom Crean of SiriusXM NBA Radio, he stated:

It was a big issue because everyone made it a big issue. We won 49 games without a traditional point guard and you can look at it both ways. We can find a traditional point guard and we can run our traditional sets and we can come down the court and play high pick-and-roll with the 1 and the 5.

And teams can sit there and say, ‘Great, we’ll deny Devin, we’ll deny Kevin, we’ll deny Brad. Let the 1 and the 5 play the game and if we want to win games playing 1-5, cool. I just don’t think that’s how we’re built. And so far, our guys last year, they did a great job.

I thought last year at the end of the season when Brad was healthy, putting him in a position where he could be a combo for us really gave us a dynamic scoring unit, defensively, offensively so we’ll supplement that with the point guard position.

But, if you could find me a point guard that you would rather have the ball in his hands over Devin, Kevin and Brad, sign me up.

Phoenix dealt with injuries throughout their season. Their Big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal played just 41 games together. The results, however, were impressive as the Suns were 26-15 during those games. Their biggest move at the point guard position this season has been the free agency addition of Monte Morris. They also gave Collin Gillespie a two-way contract.

“If you could find me a point guard that you’d rather have the ball in his hands over Devin, Kevin, and Brad, sign me up” 😂

James Jones had this to say in response to a question about the Suns’ lack of depth at PG by @TermineRadio with @TomCrean at #NBA2KSummerLeague pic.twitter.com/1DWcSdskQD

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 15, 2024

Phoenix Suns not open to breaking up Big 3

Jan 22, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) reacts during the second half of the game against the Chicago Bulls at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

There have been rumors that the Phoenix Suns could look to break up their Big 3 after just one season. James Jones recently shut those talks down, noting that they have no such plans. Speaking to Nick Borgia of Arizona Sports, the general manager stated:

Those guys aren’t going anywhere, those guys are part of the solution, they’re part of the answer. We acquired Kevin and Brad to play with Devin for a reason. Knowing who they are, Olympic athletes, team guys, that if we put those three competitive guys together … we’d be able to compete for championships. [h/t Arizona Sports]

The Suns are under immense pressure to win now due to their lofty payroll. After re-signing Josh Okogie, Phoenix is expected to be the first $400 million team in the NBA. Bobby Marks reported that they will pay $223 million in salary and $198 million in luxury tax.

Record breaking numbers in Phoenix

The Suns are the first $400M team in payroll

Salaries: $223M

Projected tax: $198M

The Okogie signing is smart and gives Phoenix a $8M trade asset to use during the season.

Because of the rules of the 2nd apron, his salary cannot be… https://t.co/ryY70GvQqX

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 12, 2024

Thank you for reading The Dunk Central. Please follow us on Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite teams and players. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing NBA outlets!