PHOENIX– Grayson Allen might be best known for being the Phoenix Suns' 3-point sniper. After all, Allen did break the Suns franchise record with 10 made threes in Monday's 121-98 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Even though he's had career years shooting from beyond the arc in the Valley of the Sun, he's taken another step in his game– playmaking.
Excluding Monday's game, Allen is averaging a career-high 4.7 assists per game. Not to mention, he's been the main starter who facilitates with the second unit.
Is it a surprise? Not exactly, considering Allen was predicted to have a breakout season with the Suns. Now, who mentioned this? General manager Brian Gregory.
11 games in, and the statistics back it up, and the impact backs it up. With a new coach, new system, and a relatively new roster, change doesn't happen overnight.
Nonetheless, Monday was a surreal moment. Chants of “MVP” flooded in, and it made him reflect on why the night was as special as it was.
“Probably the MVP,” Allen said, smiling, when asked about what he enjoyed out of the 42 points, 10 made threes, or the MVP chants. “I don't know how many times that's happened in my career. I'll never take for granted the amount of support, appreciation I have here from the fanbase. Awesome, it's surreal, and it makes it a lot of fun to go out there.
“Like this fan base has been so supportive. The last three years and even the first year here, this was the place where I've never seen so many of my own jerseys of all the other places. It's been really cool.
Jordan Ott sees Suns playmaking grow with Grayson Allen
What was originally going to be Jalen Green and Devin Booker has possibly turned into the latter and Allen. Now, that's not saying that Allen is better than Green or that he can fill his exact role.
However, it's stating that Allen was going to need to be an extension of the offense when Booker sits out. Safe to say he's been just that.
Simultaneously, it caught head coach Jordan Ott's attention.
While he's given every player their flowers, Allen does the things that don't necessarily show up in the box score. He sets hard screens, more than adequately spaces the floor, and uses his strength and that sudden stop on his drives as leverage.
A 42-point explosion wasn't on the radar, but Allen's confidence and the degree of difficulty on those shots certainly was.
“He just shoots it from so far away with ease,” Ott said postgame. “We're trying to get him to shoot more; his career numbers always shoot at a high clip.
“We want him to take some ones where he doesn't feel quite as comfortable all the time, but we know what he shoots…awesome to see how his teammates pushed for him. Such an unassuming, quiet, well-mannered, organized. He's always another adult in the room, it's great to see.”
The Suns will hit the road and take on the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, in the first set of a back-to-back. Allen's hot 3-point shooting could continue
