What's special about the Suns' 3-guard lineup with Booker, Beal and Jones?

The advantages and disadvantages of a three-guard lineup boil down to matchups.

It’s challenging to stop on offense, but it’s difficult to guard bigger teams.

The Phoenix Suns are betting on both ends, starting Tyus Jones, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, as well as Kevin Durant and 7-footer Jusuf Nurkic.

Here’s what led to this decision and what they’ll look like with three guards on offense and defense.

“We got it at a bargain price”

Phoenix didn’t have a true point guard last season. Booker, Durant and Beal are great scorers, but the Suns played a lot of one-on-one and were stagnant in crunch time far too often.

They finished 25th^Th in the NBA in terms of turnovers and was the worst team in the fourth quarter.

Phoenix couldn’t go through another season without a floor general.

The Suns initially brought in veterans Monte Morris and Collin Gillespie in free agency, but there was still one proven point guard out there in late July – Tyus Jones.

“When free agency starts, you never think you’re going to get a player like that, but with the new restrictions and lack of cap space, things happen, and that’s again why relationships are important,” Josh Bartelstein said , CEO of the Suns.

Jones has become one of the NBA’s all-time best point guards in terms of assist-turnover ratio. He led the league in that category the last six seasons, an NBA record, and broke his own NBA record for best assists-turnover ratio in a season for the third time last season in Washington.

Landing Jones would address Phoenix’s deficiencies, but the Suns have roster restrictions above the second tax apron and could only pay the veterinary minimum. However, that didn’t stop Phoenix from pursuing him in court.

The Suns convinced Jones that he was a perfect fit as a starting point guard for a championship contender who could have a great year in preparation for a bigger contract next season.

He took advantage of the opportunity – signing a one-year contract for just $3 million.

“We can say it like it is, we got him for a bargain,” said Booker, who is in the same 2015 draft class as Jones. “I remember the news broke when we were with (Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics) and all the guys in the locker room were like, ‘Man, how did you do that?'”

Special Recruitment

Suns team owner Mat Ishbia, general manager James Jones, new head coach Mike Budenholzer and Bartelstein all chatted with Tyus Jones, as well as his longtime brother Grayson Allen.

“He played a big role in recruiting me here,” Jones said. “He said, ‘Don’t worry about me starting. I know we need you to come here and be the starting point guard. That’s what we’re missing.’”

Jones and Allen were freshmen on Duke’s 2015 title team and NBA teammates at Memphis for two seasons (2019-21).

Allen assumed he would lose his starting spot, but he was still okay with it.

“That says a lot about G,” Tyus Jones said. “His character. Him as a player. He wants to win, his team comes first, but he also cares about me. This is my brother. He says, ‘I know this place would be the perfect place for you to succeed. ‘Be the best version of yourself.’ When we had this conversation right away, I thought: This will be a good decision for me.”

Allen had a career year in his first season in Phoenix, averaging 13.5 points. He led the NBA in 3-point shooting at 46.1% and started 76 of 77 games he played, including the playoffs.

Allen admitted he didn’t think the Suns needed a point guard last season, but the fact that he was among the turnovers made him rethink that idea.

“Seeing Tyus being a starter, I just feel like our team has gotten a lot better,” Allen said. “I couldn’t be more excited to have him on our team and I’m okay with what that brings.”

Insult: “You are dynamic”

With Jones, Beal becomes a shooting guard again and can do what he does best: score.

Beal averaged just 18.2 points last season, marking the first time since 2015-16 that the three-time All-Star averaged fewer than 20 points.

“I can definitely go back to being the Brad we all hoped for,” Beal said. “I’m definitely excited.”

Beal became more of a primary ball-handler in the second half of his first season in Phoenix. The move gave Booker the opportunity to be more aggressive, but Beal struggled to find a consistent comfort zone.

That came to an unflattering light in the playoffs.

Beal averaged 3.3 turnovers in four postseason games as Minnesota defeated Phoenix in the first round. He scored five of his game-high six turnovers in the fourth quarter of a Game 4 home loss, ending an underperforming season.

Jones’ presence should help the Suns generate more shots than last season, largely due to turnovers. Phoenix ranked 27th in the 2023-24 NBA in field goal attempts.

“(Turnovers) gave us a hard time last year when we were trying to be on par with each other,” Durant said. “That was a focus from our first meeting with Coach Bud and we nipped that in the bud. Just do it.” Sure, we make the right play and don’t constantly try to play the ball correctly.

The Suns have been working on spacing in training camp, and the three-guard lineup will help with that.

“When you have three guards out there, you’re dynamic,” James Jones said. “The other two guys out there, the four and the five, they’re always one pass away from a playmaker and that’s helpful when you’re talking about an offense as strong as we have.”

Budenholzer designs the offense around Booker, Durant and Beal. Combined with a three-guard look, the Suns should play faster, make more 3s and use drive-and-kick.

Phoenix was 25^Th in the NBA in 3-point shot attempts and 15^Th at pace last season.

“Dribble, pass, shoot,” said Budenholzer. “Building a system and an offensive style of play that will hopefully put (Booker, Durant and Beal) in a position to be successful, but then also put their teammates in a position to be successful.”

Defense: “Still have to be on guard”

Beal found himself in New Orleans one night fighting the much stronger, bigger Zion Williamson.

He laughs about it now, but the Suns are now smaller on the perimeter with the 6-foot Jones, 6-3 Beal and 6-5 Booker and could find it harder to contain larger NBA teams.

“We all still have to be on our guard,” Beal said. “This is still a focus of our team at the start of the year. It’s definitely high on our priority list.”

The Suns spent the first three days of camp installing base defense and concepts. Phoenix finished 13th^Th in last season’s defensive rating under Frank Vogel, who is known for his defense.

“That’s our main focus,” Booker said. “We know how talented we are offensively, but the faster we can play. The faster communication is open between everyone and we hold each other accountable, the better off we will be.”

Having help on defense and understanding where it comes from is important, but the Suns will be undersized on the perimeter against some of the league’s elite teams, such as the last two NBA champions.

The Denver Nuggets have Michael Porter Jr. at 6-10 at the three spot, while 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown is 6-6 at the position for the Boston Celtics. Porter can shoot past all three Suns guards, while the physical, athletic Brown attacks the rim and shoots from distance.

Booker may need to check these two to start games. As a primary defender, he helped Team USA win Olympic gold in Paris, but Booker will face bigger challenges in the league.

How about Phoenix taking on the Los Angeles Lakers?

All-time great LeBron James plays the three and is listed at 6-9, 250.

The league office needs to update this weight, but perimeter size may be problematic for Phoenix on defense this season.

“We have to compete,” Tyus Jones said. “It starts with one-on-one defense, but then it’s also team defense. You have to have each other’s backs, communicate and play hard and then we’ll be fine.”

Do you have any opinions on the current state of the suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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What’s special about the Suns’ 3-guard lineup with Booker, Beal and Jones?

ByJasper

“We got it at a bargain price”

Special Recruitment

Insult: “You are dynamic”

Defense: “Still have to be on guard”

By Jasper

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