The obvious issue with Tyus Jones’ remarks upon his Suns signing
Without a question, the Phoenix Suns’ acquisition of Tyus Jones will be remembered as one of the biggest summer trades. A point guard signed to a minimum deal who started all 66 games for the Washington Wizards last season, scoring 12 points and dishing out more than seven assists per game.
The point guard position was one area where the team was woefully underprepared in the previous campaign. The front administration has not only put in a lot of effort throughout the summer to address this issue, but they may have taken things too far in the opposite direction.
Jones’ remarks on his job may incite animosity, as if to further complicate matters.
This is due to Jones’ statement that “I can significantly impact a team that has a real opportunity to challenge for an NBA title as their starting point guard” in the news release he issued upon his signing with the Suns. As encouraging as all of that sounds—and let me reiterate how important it is to get a player like Jones—it poses some issues if he believes he will begin in Phoenix.
One may contend that finishing games is what matters most and that this is irrelevant nonetheless. That may be the case, but that also raises a different issue that requires our attention. Let’s start with Jones’s publicly declared position that he intends to lead, and who will give him space to do so?
Bradley Beal will earn $50 million the next season; can you persuade him to come off the bench? It doesn’t seem good from an ocular standpoint that this was done so soon after trading for him. Grayson Allen is the only other choice if Beal isn’t available. You know, the guy that shot the highest percentage in the NBA last season (46.1%) from three points?
Before the postseason began, Allen signed a new four-year, $70 million contract. His defensive skills are now underappreciated. He is undoubtedly the Suns’ finest trade asset right now, so even if they decide to sit him, it will simply make his value—which is already the highest it has been since he joined the league—go down.
Although the Suns would struggle defensively regardless of whether Jones replaces Beal, it makes more sense to switch Jones for Beal in terms of the starting five’s balance. Even though Devin Booker has had exceptional runs recently, starting center Jusuf Nurkic can only carry you so far before tiring of being asked to do too much already.
Turning back to game ends, Jones’ main selling point is his ability to restore order and force the Suns to run some plays when the action sags and scoring becomes more challenging. All well and good, but in order to do this, the club will have to go without Beal’s exceptional scoring, since he has averaged more than 30 points per game over the previous two seasons.
The release valve that Allen’s 3-point shooting provides will be absent if they have Beal there as well, as most people predict they will. That’s also not taking into account Royce O’Neale, who is skilled like Allen but looked well playing next to Booker and Kevin Durant in particular during the previous season’s playoffs.
However you slice it, someone will lose out before the following season. One of Beal or Allen will have to come off the bench, or the Suns fabricated information to get Jones to sign. Strict on Allen since he had a breakthrough year and because it wasn’t precisely what Beal committed to either. In the upcoming months, it will be interesting to observe how this problem is addressed….
