- Suns forward Mikal Bridges, who hasn’t missed a game since entering the league, believes he can continue that streak despite tweaking his right knee Friday night, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix will travel to San Antonio on Sunday, and Bridges is listed as probable. “I think I just hyperextended it a little bit, but I’m all right,” he said.
Draymond Green is on a potential expiring contract, so his NBA future beyond this season remains up in the air. However, he made it clear in a conversation with Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he doesn’t take his lengthy tenure with the Warriors for granted and appreciates that he has gotten to play alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson since entering the league.
“It’s incredible when you look at the amount of guys who’ve played for only one team,” Green said. “You can look around the NBA right now. There are five guys that’s been on a team for 11 years-plus. We have three of them. It’s a very rare thing. There’s 470, 480 players in the NBA? There are five guys that’s been with his team for 11 years plus. That’s amazing. So, you don’t just give that away.”
Green went on to say that, while he recognizes the NBA is business, he’d “absolutely” be interested in spending the rest of his career in Golden State. The four-time All-Star, who has a player option for 2023/24, said he’d let agent Rich Paul handle his contract situation, but added that he’d like to play for four or five more seasons before calling it a career.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Having been promoted to president of basketball operations by the Suns, James Jones expects to step away from some of the day-to-day aspects of running the team and delegate more of those tasks as he focuses on bigger-picture goals, per Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com. Jones said this week that there are no plans to hire a general manager to work under him in the front office hierarchy, but he also didn’t rule out that possibility down the road.
- In a separate story for GoPhnx.com, Bourguet examines how offseason signee Damion Lee became such an important part of the Suns‘ second unit. Lee, who is making a career-best 49.4% of his three-point attempts so far this season, is only on a one-year contract, so he’ll return to the open market next summer.
- Speaking to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Kings center Domantas Sabonis said that he and point guard De’Aaron Fox are on the same page on and off the court, with the two stars determined to snap Sacramento’s 16-year playoff drought. “Fox is unselfish, I’m unselfish. I love to play in the pick-and-roll, he loves to play in the pick-and-roll. We want to show people that we can win, and win consistently, apart from everything that goes on in the NBA,” Sabonis said. “I think that’s the most important thing, is to show that we can turn this franchise around.”
- Returning to Sacramento for the first time since being traded from the Kings to the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield got wildly different receptions on Wednesday, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Haliburton, who was caught off guard and upset when he was traded last season, received a standing ovation; Hield, who made it clear before being traded that he’d welcome a change of scenery, was met with boos. Hield was unfazed by the crowd’s reaction, as Dopirak relays. “I didn’t give a (expletive),” he said. “I go to sleep happy and I make a lot of money.”
Suns head coach Monty Williams and Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla have been named the NBA’s coaches of the month for the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, the league announced (via Twitter).
As previously mentioned, the NBA combined the games played in October and November for its initial monthly awards.
Williams, the reigning Coach of the Year, has led Phoenix to six straight victories and the West’s top seed thus far at 15-6. The Suns held the league’s top overall record (64-18) during the 2021/22 regular season and were expected to be good again in ’22/23, but Williams’ coaching certainly deserves recognition.
Phoenix currently has multiple key players sidelined — veteran forward Jae Crowder has yet to play this season as the Suns are trying to trade him; his replacement in the starting lineup, Cameron Johnson, underwent meniscus surgery and has only played eight games; and 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul will miss his 12th consecutive game on Friday with right heel soreness (Twitter link via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports). Reserve guard Landry Shamet also missed seven games while in the concussion protocols, but returned to action last week.
Mazzulla, the youngest head coach in the league at 34 years old, has guided Boston to the league’s best record at 18-4. The Celtics hold the No. 1 seed in the East, two games ahead of the 15-5 Bucks.
Mazzulla’s NBA debut as a head coach has been quite impressive. In addition to navigating the drama surrounding the organization in the wake of head coach Ime Udoka‘s suspension prior to the season, big man Robert Williams and free agent addition Danilo Gallinari have yet to play in 2022/23. Williams is reportedly targeting a return by Christmas following a second knee surgery in 2022, but Gallinari will likely miss the entire season with a torn ACL.
Though he currently has an interim tag, Mazzulla is expected to eventually have the interim designation removed and sign a long-term contract to remain head coach of the Celtics — the only question is when, not if.
According to the NBA, the other coaching nominees in the West were Chauncey Billups, Mike Brown, Willie Green, Will Hardy, Taylor Jenkins and Michael Malone, while J.B. Bickerstaff, Mike Budenholzer and Rick Carlisle were nominated in the East.
Suns shooting guard Devin Booker and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been named the NBA’s players of the month for the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).
All of the initial monthly awards combined the statistics from October and November, since October was an abbreviated month (the regular season started on the 18th).
Booker led the Suns to a 15-6 record over the past six weeks, the No. 1 seed in the West. Through 21 games (36.5), he’s averaging 29.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.8 APG and 1.1 SPG on .489/.378/.878 shooting.
The 26-year-old is coming off Wednesday’s spectacular performance against Chicago, in which he scored 51 points on 20-of-25 shooting — including 6-of-7 from three and 5-of-6 from the line — in only three quarters of action in the blowout victory.
Tatum led the Celtics to an NBA-best 18-4 record through November, the No. 1 seed in the East. Through 21 games (36.7 MPG), he’s averaging 31.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.5 APG and 1.1 BPG on .488/.366/.873 shooting.
The 24-year-old had his own incredible performance in Wednesday’s victory over Miami, recording season-high 49 points on .600/.667/.917 shooting splits.
According to the NBA (Twitter links), the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, De’Aaron Fox, Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Ja Morant, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, OG Anunoby, DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Donovan Mitchell and Franz Wagner were nominated in the East.
All-NBA Suns shooting guard Devin Booker spoke to Sam Amick of The Athletic for a wide-ranging interview that was published the day he would help extend Phoenix’s win streak to six games on the strength of a 51-point performance, while shooting a terrific 20-of-25 from the field through just three quarters.
Booker has emerged as a possible frontrunner for league MVP honors. He has been the best and most consistent player on the top team by record (15-6) in the Western Conference to start this season. Amick notes that Booker finished fourth in MVP voting last year, as the best player on a 64-18 Suns team.
Through 21 games this season, Booker is averaging 29.0 PPG on .489/.378/.878 shooting splits. He is also contributing 5.8 APG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.1 SPG.
The 6’5″ three-time All-Star’s conversation with Amick is worth reading in full, but here are some highlights:
On being a potential early favorite for the 2023 MVP award:
“I’m not even in that race. I just let these people say what they want. Like bro, I focus on hoops only… And historically speaking, if you look at last year, like somebody (else) might have got MVP (in his situation) if it wasn’t me. Best team in the league with whatever (production). But the criteria changes, the media changes. I think it’s good for the NBA, (but) there’s just certain people that they want to push more than others. And that’s just the nature of life.”
On his feelings towards minutes management:
“I’m not a part of that, man (laughs). I’m 26 years old, man. I train hard. I spend a lot of time in the summer making sure my body’s right to be able to take that load on, so I want to be out there, and I want to win basketball games and do what I have to do to help the team. That’s just how I’ve always been… Every day I wake up grateful for the opportunity to play, and I’ve never lost sight of that, back from being the little kid who wanted to be in the NBA. And I haven’t lost sight of those kids that are up in the stands that might be seeing me for the first time.”
On the team’s ability to ignore the chaos surrounding embattled owner Robert Sarver:
“I don’t think it’s fair to think that that would come in between what we have going on in this locker room. There’s too many level-headed guys. We have too many conversations that we keep in house between the team. Like, we have a lot of educated people on this team. We’re pretty close, and we talk about everything. Our group chat is going. And we keep everything in (house) and talk about it here. And, you know, a decision was made (regarding Sarver), so there’s really nothing else we can do or say about it. Media day was tough, and that was it.”
On Suns center Deandre Ayton dealing with tension ahead of his eventual maximum contract:
“I think he grew up a lot. He’ll be the first one to tell you that it was just realizing what the NBA is about. You grow up and you’re like, ‘I want to play in the NBA,’ but you don’t realize it’s a business. There’s things that go on. There’s conversations that had to be had. And being a young top pick and coming in at 18 (years old), and him being all over in his childhood from the Bahamas to San Diego, I don’t think he realized that it’s actually business. And that was good for him. I mean, he got his money. He’s in a great situation now. He’s playing free. He’s happy.”
The Wizards appear to be among the trade suitors for Suns forward Jae Crowder, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his latest Hoop Collective podcast. Crowder has sat out the entire 2022/23 season as Phoenix has looked to move him, and Washington is in the market for a three-and-D type player.
“There’s been some chatter about them looking at a guy like Jae Crowder,” Windhorst said of the Wizards (hat tip to RealGM). “I’m pretty confident there’s been some discussions between the Wizards and Suns. We’ve been talking about Jae Crowder now for about two months. It’s obvious it’s a hard trade to pull off. The Wizards have a bunch of guys who make decent salaries on their roster that they can use in trades.”
A number of Eastern Conference playoff contenders have already been linked to Crowder, with the Heat, Hawks, and Bucks among the teams said to have interest. There was a sense a couple weeks ago that Phoenix might be on the verge of completing a deal involving the 32-year-old, but nothing has come of those rumors to date.
The Suns are one of the NBA’s best teams and will be looking for win-now pieces – rather than draft picks or prospects – in any Crowder trade, which has made it challenging for them to make a straight-up trade with another contending club. They’ve reportedly explored multi-team scenarios in an effort to get the sort of player(s) they’re targeting.
According to Windhorst, Phoenix would like to acquire a power forward in a Crowder trade. A previous report indicated the Suns have interest in Kyle Kuzma, but the Wizards are presumably looking to supplement Kuzma in their frontcourt rather than give him up, given the year he’s having. Former lottery picks Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija could be trade candidates, as Windhorst observes.
“What Phoenix has been looking for in return for Jae Crowder is a power forward,” Windhorst said. “So you can look at the (Wizards’) roster and you can identify that maybe Hachimura would be a guy. But they haven’t made the deal yet, so there hasn’t been a connection there.
“… To be honest with you, if I was Phoenix – now again, this is me speaking, this is not what I’ve heard, to be clear – I’d be interested in Avdija. I am interested in what he can do defensively. But I haven’t heard that. I’ve just heard that those two sides have talked.”
Crowder ($10.18MM) and Hachimura ($6.26MM) are on expiring contracts, while Avdija ($4.92MM) has one more year left on his rookie deal after this one.
Suns president of basketball operations James Jones said he hasn’t found the “right fit” to make a deal involving veteran forward Jae Crowder, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter video link). Crowder is sitting out while waiting to be moved.
“Just haven’t been able to get a deal done,” Jones said. “We have natural deadlines, like the trade deadline, where you usually have a flurry of deals but other than that, it’s just finding the right fit and we just haven’t been able to find that yet.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Suns guard Chris Paul is “close” to returning, Jones said in another video link posted by Bourguet. “He’s been looking good and we’re still taking the long view,” Jones said. A heel injury has sidelined Paul since Nov. 7. Paul is still listed as out for Wednesday’s game against Chicago, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.
- Lakers first-year coach Darvin Ham dealt with trade rumors during his playing career and hopes his current players take the same approach as rumors swirl around the franchise, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. “I’ve dealt with that myself personally,” he said. “But you just have to have an approach that whatever jersey you put on, it’s a blessing to be in this league and handle it like a professional.”
- Draymond Green‘s status with the Warriors franchise seemed tenuous after he punched Jordan Poole during a practice in training camp. However, Green has reestablished himself as an indispensable cog as they shoot for a second consecutive title, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “I’ve said for years that Draymond is the heartbeat of our team,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s the guy who kind of makes everything go. He’s the motivator. He’s the bully who protects his teammates on the floor and talks trash. This guy is just so good at basketball.” Green holds a $27,586,225 option for the 2023/24 season.
Deandre Ayton was named the Western Conference Player of the Week. The Suns have seen stretches of dominance from Ayton during his career but he hasn’t been able to sustain it.
The former No. 1 overall pick believes that putting up big numbers should be the “norm” at this stage of his career. Phoenix is certainly paying for that kind of production after matching Indiana’s four-year, $133MM offer sheet this summer.
“I want to be a great player, and you’ve got to be willing to put up numbers and win games night in, night out,” he told Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com. “So I think I’m to that point where this should be a norm. This is how I’m supposed to play.”
We have more on the Suns:
- Chris Paul missed his 10th straight game on Monday due to right heel soreness, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. The Suns have gone 6-3 entering the game with Sacramento since Paul has been sidelined. Cameron Payne is averaging 17.7 points and 6.8 assists since he became a starter in place of Paul.
- Backup big man Jock Landale has played sparingly but he provided a spark in a one-point win over Utah on Sunday, Rankin notes. Landale had four points, an offensive rebound and an assist in a five-minute cameo. “I think that’s the benefit of being on this team is we have three guys pretty much at every position that can hold it down,” Landale said. “They call on me to come in and help out and I just went in there and played hard and that’s the stuff I can control is going in and playing hard and helping the team out.”
- In case you missed it, general manager James Jones was promoted to president of basketball operations. Get the details here.
Suns center Deandre Ayton and Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced (via Twitter).
Ayton, the Western Conference winner, led the Suns to a 3-0 week with averages of 23.7 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting 67.4% from the field and 81.3% from the free throw line. Phoenix is currently 13-6, the No. 1 seed in the West.
Antetokounmpo, the East’s winner, led the Bucks to a 3-1 week with averages of 35.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists on .611/.250/.644 shooting. He’s the first player of the 2022/23 season to win the award a second time. Milwaukee is currently 14-5, the No. 2 seed in the East.
According to the NBA (Twitter links), the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Ja Morant, while Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner and Donovan Mitchell were nominated in the East.
The Suns have made general manager James Jones their new president of basketball operations along with his current title, the team announced in a press release.
Jones was named the Suns’ co-interim general manager alongside Trevor Bukstein in the fall of 2018 after joining the organization a year earlier as vice president of basketball operations. He became the lone, permanent GM in April 2019 and has held the position since then. In that time, he has taken a Phoenix team that was among the league’s worst and turned it into a perennial contender.
The Suns have captured two straight Pacific Division titles, posted franchise records with 64 wins and an 18-game winning streak and reached the NBA Finals. Jones received the Executive of the Year award in 2021.
“In the nearly 15 years I have known James, he has excelled in every role he performed, from player to NBPA Treasurer to his roles in our front office, most recently as general manager,” Suns interim governor Sam Garvin said in announcing the move. ” James has the unique ability to create and lead high-performing teams in basketball operations and his commitment to collaborating with our business side, including at the C-level with partners like PayPal and Verizon, is second to none. We are fortunate for his contributions across the organization and this promotion recognizes his commitment to excellence.”
Jones moved into a front office role in 2017 when his playing career ended after 14 NBA seasons. He was hired by Phoenix about a month after playing in the NBA Finals and began working to transform the franchise.
One of his first moves after being named the permanent GM was hiring Monty Williams as head coach, replacing Igor Kokoskov after just one season. Following the team’s undefeated run in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Jones swung for the fences by sending four players and a draft pick to Oklahoma City to acquire Chris Paul. That move lifted the Suns into the NBA’s upper echelon.
“I am grateful for the privilege to work with and support the players, staff and employees of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury,” Jones said. “The collective efforts of our business and basketball operations have allowed us to provide an amazing atmosphere and best-in-class experience for our fans and community. I remain excited about and dedicated to driving success for our teams on and off the court.”