Suns Star Ready for New Role

Phoenix Suns shooter Grayson Allen knows it's best for the team.

Mar 7, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) reacts against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- Phoenix Suns shooter Grayson Allen was one of the league's best three-point specialists last season.

Often times, it was Allen's ability to knock down shots from deep that kept the Suns in games.

For the 2024-25 campaign under first-year head coach Mike Budenholzer, Allen's role will be different.

The Suns are effectively moving Allen to the bench with the presence of point guard Tyus Jones, affording Phoenix a legitimate table-setter after the Suns experimented with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal playing the role last season.

Allen - who was under Budenholzer in Milwaukee - helped recruit his fellow Duke guard to come to Phoenix and effectively take his starting spot.

“He’s all about the right things. I feel fortunate to kind of reunite with him, pull him into the recruiting of Tyus," Budenholzer told reporters this week. "At the end of the day, it’s probably to bring somebody in to take his spot in the starting lineup. I think all Grayson cares about is winning.”

Allen confirmed.

“Me looking at Ty being a starter, I just feel like our team got a lot better,” Allen said at Suns Media Day.

“I’m still the same, same player, a better player. I’m happy our team got a lot better, I’m happy Tyus is on our team, and I’m looking forward to how we look out there with having him. So I could be more excited to have him on our team and I’m ok with what comes with that.”

Now, Allen's role shifts to that as a reserve, though his importance still remains for a Suns bench that was 30th in three-point percentage and 28th in three-point attempts according to ESPN.

With a star-studded staring lineup and players such as Allen and Royce O'Neale ready to emerge off the bench, the Suns figure to be in better shape.