Suns Player: We Needed a Point Guard

Isaiah Thomas says it was obvious the Phoenix Suns couldn't go far without a point guard.

Mar 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Isaiah Thomas (4) gestures from the bench in / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns walk into the 2024 offseason with a handful of issues to solve after their first-round postseason exit, though the topic of how the team should approach the point guard position will remain prominent until a solution is found on either side of the debate.

After trading Chris Paul last summer, the Suns were confident they could rely on a mix of Bradley Beal and Devin Booker to handle point guard duties.

Results would suggest Phoenix missed a floor general despite the overall amount of talent, and Isaiah Thomas would agree.

“I think we just tried something that really hasn't been done before with not having a point guard, and I think it just paid a toll on us in a series where we played against a young energetic physical team, that kind of knew, okay we're going to pressure these guys the whole game to see if they can last,” Thomas said on All The Smoke (h/t Clutch Points).

“Like, to see if guys can really be able to make point guard plays. And not necessarily saying just because I'm on the team that we need to play a point guard, even before I got on the squad, from afar, looking at the Phoenix Suns I always felt like, when it came to the playoffs that kind of would be a missing piece. Ultimately you just can't play without a point guard.”

The Suns averaged nearly 15 turnovers per night, tied for sixth-worst in the NBA. Phoenix's fourth quarter net rating of -11.6 was also dead last in the league.

When speaking to reporters last week, Suns general manager James Jones offered this perspective on the point guard chatter:

“I think the team could benefit from having a point guard,” Jones said.

“I believe the team could benefit from having backup forwards, backup centers. I still always go back to your best players on the floor. That’s a narrative we’ll hear a lot, point guard, point guard. Sure, that’s great. Who do you want? Who is available given the way we’re built? Who can fit with this group? Whose game seamlessly fits with this group and when you put that player on the floor and you take the ball out of someone’s hands, whose hands are you taking it out of and who are putting in that position?”