Can the Phoenix Suns become one of the league’s top 3-point shooting teams?
Damen Lee resigning with the Suns today one-year deal veteran minimum contract uh Mitch if you would uh and I’m springing this on you last minute go through the Mike buen holer sound from when he was hired and see if you can find me a sound bite that kind of highlights how much he wants his guys to shoot the three because that’s one thing that was very very clear when buen holer got the job and something Scott that I know that you could speak to as well Mike buen holzer’s team and somewhere in my in my long bunch of notes I’ve got a stat that backs this up his teams whether he was in Atlanta or Milwaukee he likes to jack threes up he wants his team to Jack threes up but you know the suns were more of a mid-range team the Suns almost had to be coaxed into taking threes this year right what you call them the midi committee the midi committee or the M what was it what is it k r always calls him the mid the mid-range Mafia the mid Mafia right like yeah that’s what k r calls him on on the TV yeah they they cuz they’re good at it they’re really really good at it and it’s obvious that one of Coach Bud’s kind of tasks in front of them is to take a team filled with really great Shooters and convince them you know what it’s it makes more sense mathematically for you to take more thre I know you probably don’t like this style in fact I know you don’t like this style of basketball right like the the jacking up the threes I don’t no but it is the way of the world it’s what yeah it’s where we’re going here that’s what’s happening it’s the way of today’s NBA is the way thanks thanks this is the way uhhuh this is this it is it’s it’s the way and so the point with them bringing Damen Lee back is it’s twofold number one they lost Eric Gordon Eric Gordon I think took on average about five three-pointers per game last year someone’s got to fill that void right someone’s got to take that spot Damen Lee might might be the guy to do it number two Damen Lee was hurt last year but the year four shot about 44% from three and then number three and I I found this I found this fascinating and I sprung this on you guys during our pre-show prep because I think it leads to really good conversation and now I’m scrolling down for it I should have been better prepared for this thought here it is right here this comes from ataz Sports Zone the highest three-point percentage in the history of the Suns this is for your career for your career as a phoenix son did you know four of the six highest career three-point Shooters in the history of the Suns I’m sure there’s a minimum in there somewhere sure got to be um like I it was one for two by the way y were you maybe with the Suns or for your career with the Suns really I got up so so you’re actually I think I’m in there you’re number one on this I’m pretty sure there’s a minimum you’re you’re number one one on this list I didn’t make the minimum um highest three-o percentage in Sun’s history four of the top six in the history of the organization are on the roster right now today ghet of that right so do I love the fact that team’s jack up 33s and a half no but that’s what’s going on right now so and if you look at and I just pulled up like you know I just thought who made the most threes last year right so I pulled up the list you want to take a a gander or guess at who might be on the we’re talking about total from pH for the Phoenix 24 no for a team 2324 the list of the most made threes by teams okay Boston Celtic has got to be near the top of the list number one okay won the world championship last year uh the thanks Splash Brothers okay thank you the Warriors are going to be at the top near the top of the list all right let me let me number two let me try to get this one I’m let now try to get the third one hold on let me try shock you let me let me think this one I’m gonna say the I it’s on the tip of my tongue you think about it I’m going give this Celtics 1351 Warriors 12 111 and the third place team with 1,197 is Oklahoma City no who Dallas Maverick okay so two of the top three teams were in the NBA finals from a year ago I don’t think that’s a coincidence no no so the Suns if they got weapons behind the ark they should use them Grayson Allen number one now I granted it’s just in one season but Grayson Allen number one all time Damen Lee number two all time Bradley Beal number four all time Kevin Durant number number five all time again obviously with a limitation of of you know a minimum that you had to hit Steve Nash was number three uh your guy Raja Bell was number six that’s the all-time highest three-point percentage in Phoenix Sun’s history so now if your coach bud and he said this during his intro press conference you better believe shooting threes is going to be a focus there’s no doubt that these guys will know I think threes are a part of it but we’re going to do it from day one we’re going to do it starting in the gym probably on Monday um training camp all throughout the summer and but you know the whole team it’s going to be important but you know for for including Brad all those guys uh they’re incredible players I I just want to add to what they do um I that’s my mentality is to to push them and to make them their best selves and and to for us to have our best team yeah somewhere in here I’ve got a screenshot of Coach uh buen holer over his career where if you look at like three-point attempts for teams that he’s coached yeah like he his teams are in and I’m I’m paraphrasing here but I think I’m close his teams have been in the top six or seven every year but one well that’s what I was going to say too going back to that list and I know he did not coach this team last year but the mentality was still there from two years ago the Milwaukee Bucks were number five on that list so he had Shooters uh and they continued to do the same thing even though that he was not coaching him last year so let me ask you this then as a guy who used to play the game is it when you’ve got three players who excel at the mid-range shooting the way Devin Booker Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal do and you don’t you know that that whole idea of teaching an old dog new tricks or taking a guy out of his comfort zone is it harder than you’d think it would be to try to convince those guys to alter their game a little bit and become more willing three-point Shooters because it it it it seemed like Frank vogle wanted it last year talked about it all the time and could just never ever convince his guys that that was their game how can buen holer be any different than Vogal I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking a media to try to get your stroke right trying to get yourself to the foul line I think those all things that Booker and Durant do exceptionally well uh I think they just have to start opportunities to get Guys open looks from behind the arc are important I think coach Bud didn’t have a excuse me coach vogle didn’t have a system in place to get Booker Durant and Beal cleaner looks from behind the arc so they just started saying you want me to shoot more threes it almost seemed like they were their shot selection from behind the arc were almost like a big can you say FU to to him on the air like it I mean don’t I mean don’t say it say it but but it it just seemed like he just they just said well you want you want me to do this then I’ll I’ll do it but you’re not getting in a good position to do it so I want to say they were shooting hook shots out there from behind the ark but some of the shots section left you scratching your head like don’t just sling something up there for the sake of slinging up a three there was one game in particular I remember like it was like it was yesterday there was a game near the end of the season against the LA Clippers where they just came out and every other shot was a three-pointer and it almost seemed like it was out of spite it it almost felt like it was exactly how you describe it oh you want us to take more threes okay here you go hey be careful what you wish for watch this watch this it was like 50 55 threes but they remember what the percentage was but you you can’t just sling them up there hoping that they’re going to go in if you got a guy now say draped on you but with a hand in your face yeah okay I I found I was listening to you and I found it here here’s and it’s it’s exactly what I thought so but uh Mike buen Holzer in three-point attempts his teams that he’s coached that he’s been the head coach of this was a Gerald borgate tweet from back on May 17th his teams have been 2nd 7th 6th 16th 7th 2nd fourth 8th Fifth and fourth okay so so so just hanging around that top seven Tak around that yeah top six top seven he’s got the shooters to do it does he have the willing and and here’s where I think you’re right about hopefully you’re right about Bud that bud given that he comes from an offensive background will be able to make his case to them here’s why you should be doing it here’s why you’re going to be better at at it because he’s just got a better way of coaching offense than Frank vogle did you know and I’m going to put you in a good spot so you look good taking and making them I hope it works I hope it works I’m I I am really worried I’m a little worried maybe not really worried I am a little worried about whether Booker and Beal and Kevin Durant will willingly change their games to try to take more three-point shots because it’s better for them to do it I do wonder about that thanks for watching Burns and gambo click to see more from the guys and hit the button in the middle to subscribe so you never miss a video from Arizona Sports
Can the Phoenix Suns become one of the league’s top 3-point shooting teams? Dave Burns and Scott Williams discuss.
Video: Felisa Cárdenas and Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports
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1 Comment
I mean we once were until Ishbia decided to break up a contending team for what we got now