Phoenix Suns 2022-23 Season Preview
CP3 & Booker guarantee a top-5 offense.
Welcome to the 2022-23 previews for every NBA team! These breakdowns are designed to look at stats, film & anything I found interesting in my preparation for the upcoming NBA season.
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Stats
Net Rating: +8.5 (1st)
Offensive Rating: 116.1 (3rd)
Great
The Suns had the 3rd best offense in the NBA behind the best mid range shooting in the entire league. Devin Booker and Chris Paul are mid-range assassins and their ability to create efficient looks at virtually every area on the court led them to rank 3rd in eFG%
Good
With Chris Paul a the helm, you are not going to turn the ball over - it’s pretty much a fact when he is on the court. CP3 has ranked consistently in the 90th percentile in his career, although the last few years have been in the 75th percentile while maintaining the same turnover %.
Ugly
For the Suns to reach the next level and be the single best offense in the NBA, slight improvements to their OREB% & FT Rate would be a big boost. They ranked 21st in OREB% - not a huge deal - but improving this into the teens would give the Suns extra chances to score. The worst part about their offense was their FT Rate, only making 17.7 Free Throws per 100 FGA and ranking 25th in the NBA.
Defensive Rating: 107.6 (3rd)
Great
Having essentially the ideal shot profile on defense, the Suns allow you to shoot mid range shots all day long and try to take away the Rim and the 3 point line. This is also kind of funny considering offensively there are nothing like this - but every team plays to their own strength. Combining this with great defenders and schemes, the Suns ranked 3rd in the NBA in eFG% defense.
Good
One aspect of the Suns defense that I did not expect was for them to continue force turnovers at a high level, ranking 5th in the NBA in defensive TOV%. Using the length of Brigdges/Johnson/Booker they were able to wreak havoc on and off the ball - something that will likely continue this season.
Ok
The Suns were average in defensive rebounding and defensive FT Rate, which held them back slightly when it came to having the best defense in the NBA. Improving rebounding would bolster their defense, and I think their balance of being aggressive without fouling too much was good.
Film
Side Action
The Phoenix Suns free-flowing offense allows for side-to-side ball movement and player movement. One of their favorite actions is to go to what I call “Side” action where one side of the floor is empty and they flow into hand offs, cuts and reads.
21 Chase
Perhaps the most common action in the Suns early offense, they run 21/Pistol action often.
This starts with a guard setting a step up screen on the wing, then the big setting a flare screen for the guard.
The big flows into a ballscreen after the flare screen.
21 Speed
A counter the Suns add in as a wrinkle is to have the guard who set the screen on the wing speed cut and roll right to the rim instead of coming off the flare screen.
21 Nash
The Suns also run 21 Nash action or a pass/dribble into the wing for a double ballscreen.
Horns Out Flip Flare Chase
Likely the most run set over the last few seasons, the Suns love to run this action out of Horns. Starting off with a basic screen at the elbow, the initial cut is to catch the ball on the wing.
The player then flips it back to the point guard and then comes off a flare screen from the other elbow.
Flowing into a ballscreen for the point guard after, this set is designed to have multiple actions for the defense to take into consideration.
Horns Out Weak
The Suns are the best team at disguising actions, and they run a TON of Horns sets. One of their favorite actions is to go to Chicago action to the weakside of the floor after the initial out action.
The point guard then cuts through and the play goes into Chicago action.
Pop Gut Chicago (ATO)
I love this set from the Suns, going to Chicago action through the middle of the floor - what I have heard referred to as Gut action. This play starts off with a designed pick and pop from the big to receive a pass.
Then the player who passed it to him screens down in the middle of the floor around the nail and typically Booker comes off the Gut dribble hand off.
Zipper Ghost Clear (ATO)
Ghost screens can be really effective, and the Suns run a great set out of a Zipper entry to free up the initial pass.
Then the opposite guard sprints into the ghost screen to pick and pop.
If the ghost action is not open then the player who set the initial Zipper screen sprints into a ballscreen.
Zipper Nash Exit (ATO)
Instead of using the Zipper screen to free up a pass they use it to disguise a double ballscreen for the point guard.
At the same time, the player who set the first Zipper screen cuts off a screen on the baseline to create shake action.
Zipper Get Pin 4 (ATO)
This might be the most creative/my favorite set from last season which they will likely run for Cam Johnson now that Crowder is moving on. This play takes advantage of a defenses normal tendency to have the low man weakside tag the roller, and disguising it with a normal Zipper into a pick and roll.
When the player comes off the pick and roll the point guard screens down for the player in the opposite corner to come off for a shot. Such a clever design.
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Outwork Yesterday.
Coach Pyper