Monty Williams: Multiple ball handlers strengthens Phoenix Suns offense
Hybrid players have become the norm in this positionless NBA era.
There are point-forwards like LeBron James, even point-centers like Miami's Bam Adebayo and Denver's Nikola Jokic, who bring up the ball to initiate offense and lead fast breaks.
The Phoenix Suns have adjusted during much of this season without their point guards Chris Paul and Cameron Payne who have missed 23 and 34 games this season, respectively.
Payne (lower back soreness) is out for Phoenix's first-round playoff series home opener against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Williams said at the Suns' Saturday practice he feels fortunate to have multiple ball handlers besides Paul and Payne, but believes the traditional point guard is not obsolete.
“I think the thing for us is having the ability to have multiple ball handlers. I think the point guard is coming back," Williams said. "There’s gonna be at some point — I don’t know what that looks like — you’re gonna have more teams involve a quote-unquote point guard. But for us, it’s who can get the ball down the floor off of a make and get us into something that’s functional.
"The way our team is made up, it’s Chris, Book, could be Kevin, Landry, Terrence at times. It’s been a work in progress when Cam’s not out there and not in the rotation, but I think we have enough guys who can facilitate offense that allows for us to be efficient.”
Earlier this season, Williams explained that he's learned to manage the 18-year veteran Paul's minutes and ball-handling duties from when he coached Paul in New Orleans from 2010 to 2015. Williams said that Paul told him bringing the ball up for entire games physically wore him down.
After Bridges and Johnson were traded in a package to Brooklyn for Kevin Durant in February, Durant began helping kickstart the Suns offense along with their shooting guards Devin Booker, Landry Shamet and Terrence Ross.
Paul agreed with Williams that he values having his teammates running the offense when he's on the floor.
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“It’s nice. I’m grateful for all my years in the league, but for most of my career it was me as a ball handler," Paul said. We have a shooting small forward, shooting guard, so I think teams are a lot more dynamic when you have those multiple ball handlers. Obviously, we got Book, and now adding K.D., I think that makes it really tough for teams to try to put a guy on me as just the ball handler. So we’ll see. If they do that, then you got a 7-footer coming on the break at you.”
Durant, who's listed at 6-foot-10, has one of the best handles and passing skills throughout his 16 years in the league.
Deandre Ayton said he's inspired as the Suns' top center watching him run the show because Durant is "probably" a bit taller than him.
“He does so much, man. I even see him handle the rock more than I ever seen a 7-footer handle the rock, bro. Setting a screen in the half-court for a dude my size is kind of insane. So I’m learning everyday," Ayton said. "He’s so fast and I gotta make sure to really get out the way. Set the screen, get out of the way.
"Really just being ready, though, because he can just hit you with a pass. He’s so aware on the court, him and Book, they’ve seen so many different coverages,. There’s gotta be open spaces in what the defense gives us and be ready to finish the plays.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Monty Williams: Multiple ball handlers strengthens Suns offense
