James Jones on social justice, playing-style tweaks and 'extreme challenge' of restart
The Suns' general manager spoke one day before the team travels to Walt Disney World.
About a month into the NBA shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Suns general manager James Jones said he expected it to take between five and seven weeks for teams to become physically equipped to resume the season.
Now, the hiatus has lasted nearly four months. And after Phoenix and the other 21 teams that are part of the league’s restart travel to Orlando and quarantine, they will get about three weeks of 5-on-5 work before games begin July 30 (the Suns tip off a day later against Washington).
“If anyone tells you that they’re good with three weeks (to ramp up), they’re just being positive,” Jones said on a videoconference with media Monday morning. “ … I can’t put it any other way besides saying it’s gonna be an extreme challenge — probably the toughest stretch of basketball, not just the players, but the staffs (and) organizations will have faced, probably, in the history of the NBA.”
Still, Jones is pleased the Suns are included.
Entering the Walt Disney World campus with a 26-39 record means Phoenix is a huge long shot to make the playoffs. But regaining some rhythm and structure can benefit a young team. So can facing seven consecutive opponents that would make the postseason if it began today.
“I don’t want our guys to go there thinking that we’re just coming (to play) eight games to get back into shape so that we can ride off into the summer feeling good about our momentum,” Jones said. “ … We’re getting other teams’ best efforts, and that’s the only way we can get better.”
Here are some highlights from Jones’ session:
Travel party
The bulk of the Suns’ players, coaches and staff will travel to Orlando Tuesday. But Jones acknowledged “we will have players traveling at a later date,” though he did not specify who or why. The answer suggested the organization could be waiting on COVID-19 test results, after The Arizona Republic first reported about two weeks ago that two players had tested positive when mandatory testing began.
Jones also did not rule out the possibility that Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) could play at some point in Orlando. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium first reported that Oubre would sit out the entire restart after undergoing meniscus surgery in early March. Jones said that Oubre has been rehabbing in Phoenix.
“My expectations for him are the same as every other player,” Jones said of Oubre. “Come in every day, practice with the team, work and compete and get yourself in a position to play — and hopefully that’s before Orlando ends.”
Injuries hampered the Suns throughout the 2019-20 season. Jones reiterated Monday that he attributes some of that to Phoenix’s “maximum-effort” style of play marked by an aggressive defense and tons of ball and body movement on offense.
Yet Jones was encouraged by the Suns’ health strides even before the pandemic, mentioning the progress of Frank Kaminsky, Aron Baynes and Dario Saric.
Coincidentally (or not-so-coincidentally), Phoenix must make offseason decisions about all three of those players. Baynes will be an unrestricted free agent, while Saric will be a restricted free agent (if Phoenix extends a qualifying offer) and Kaminsky has a $5 million team option for 2020-21.
“It’s important for those guys to continue the competition, and to work towards something,” Jones said. “They’re all competing for minutes. They’re all competing for their place on this team.”
Creating possessions
This hiatus was nearly the length of a typical offseason, which allowed Jones and the front office to dive into numbers, film and other data. Now, the Suns get the unique opportunity to apply some findings to a chunk of games.
Most notably, Jones said he wants his team to create more possessions offensively without being “reckless.” That could mean giving a bit up in transition defense, after Phoenix ranked 13th in the NBA in opponent fastbreak points (12.9 per game) before the season stopped.
The most intriguing position battle, meanwhile, could be at backup point guard. Nobody from the group of Jevon Carter, Elie Okobo and Ty Jerome consistently performed this season, and last week the Suns signed former lottery pick Cameron Payne to fill their 15th full-time roster spot.
“The more ballhandlers you have, the better you position yourselves to avoid turnovers,” Jones said. “We’re a team that, when we can play without turning the ball over — when our ballhandlers can be efficient and they can make the right reads — we get good shots and we’re pretty effective offensively.
“But it’s a competition, for sure. I mean, make no mistake about it. We signed Cam Payne to see if he could come in here with Jevon, Elie and Ty Jerome and compete for minutes.”
‘Bubble’ safety
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic hangs over this whole restart, of course. On Sunday, the Bucks became the latest team to close its practice facility prior to departing for Orlando. Arizona and Florida are two of the country’s current virus hotspots.
Yet Jones is optimistic the “bubble” scenario could actually help keep his players healthy and safe.
“The more constraints you can put in place, the better,” Jones said. “The structure of Orlando will be beneficial for us. Our anxiety is getting to the bubble healthy. But once we get there, we’re back in our element (of) playing the games, playing basketball on a regimented schedule.
“And the league, with all their protocols, it’s amazing, I’m not apprehensive about that.”
As for no fans in the stands during games?
“The NBA needs to have the mute button handy,” Jones said, “because you’ll hear a lot more of the on-court banter, and it may make for good TV.”
Taking a stand
The NBA has rolled out plans to recognize the ongoing social-justice movement, including painting “Black Lives Matter” on the courts and allowing players to put pertinent names or messages on the backs of their jerseys.
Coach Monty Williams and Baynes (who is in an interracial marriage) are among the members of the Suns who have publicly expressed their views in recent weeks.
Jones, meanwhile, also has experience with taking a stand. He was a Miami Heat player when they all posed in hoodies for an iconic 2012 photo to speak out against the killing of Trayvon Martin, an example of police brutality Jones remembers as a “wakeup call” and “truly shocking” as somebody who grew up in Miami Gardens.
“I’ve just encouraged our guys to be authentic,” said Jones, who is one of eight Black general managers in the league, “to take a stand and be proud of their opinions and their backgrounds. But, also, to invest time in educating themselves on the issues. I don’t think it serves anyone when you make off-the-cuff statements or you’re just signaling that you’re a part of something without truly understanding what it means.”
Jones added that, during this restart, he hopes to help the Suns “refocus” on basketball and “maximize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of being NBA players.”
Future ‘buzz’
This extended break and resumption of play have shifted the entire NBA calendar. The draft and free agency have been moved to October. The NBA Draft Combine, which is typically held in May, was canceled, while in-person prospect workouts are not currently feasible.
That means Jones and his staff are leaning more on film and videoconferencing to evaluate.
“I feel restricted compared to prior years,” Jones said. “But given that we’re all dealing with the same challenges, it’s not restrictive. It’s actually just neutral. We’re trying to do the most we can with limited opportunities.”
Jones also remains optimistic about the organization’s overall foundation built this season under Williams, and the internal “buzz” he feels about the long-term future.
“Despite all of the challenges, we have a group that’s excited to be a part of the Phoenix Suns franchise,” Jones said. “And that speaks volumes, because I can’t say that was true in the past. … Our (players) and our coaches and our staff, you can see it every day when you come in here.
“There’s an energy and there’s an excitement and there’s a sense of pride. And that goes a long way when you’re trying to build a culture, you’re trying to build an identity as a franchise.”
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