Williams responds to Warren sitting out last 2 Suns games
CHARLOTTE — T.J. Warren had just scored 17 points on Phoenix in 22 minutes in his last game with Brooklyn two days before returning to the team with which he started his NBA career, following the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade.
So Monty Williams just got a recent look at what Warren could do.
He played Warren against Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers before the All-Star break, but Williams hasn’t called his number the two games after the break against Oklahoma City and at Milwaukee.
“Just a lot of guys to play," Williams said after Sunday’s 104-101 loss to the Bucks. “We’re already playing 10. To play him, you’ve got to bump somebody out and we feel like we have a decent rhythm with D-Lee (Damion Lee) and for the most part, J-O (Josh Okogie) and Torrey (Craig) have been manning that starting spot. Pretty soon we’re going to get Kevin and that’s going to knock somebody else out.”
Durant is expected to make his Suns debut Wednesday at Charlotte in the second of a four-game road trip.
“You can’t play everybody,” Williams continued. “I explained that to the group (Saturday). We need a great deal of sacrifice from the group. There may be a shot for him to play, but right now, we feel like we have a decent rhythm with the guys who are playing.”
Lee talked about the team needing to make sacrifices going into the All-Star break.
“Lineups are going to change, roles are going to change, but for everyone, doing what they do,” said Lee, who won an NBA title with Golden State last season.
“If your minutes are reduced, if your minutes are increased, whatever it is, just doing what you do and try to do it at a high level because even when we get Landry (Shamet) back and C-Payne (Cameron Payne) back as well, guys are just going to have to understand that in order for us to be great and accomplish what we look to achieve and look to accomplish, there has to be sacrifices.”
Payne returned against Oklahoma City from a right foot sprain he suffered Jan. 4 at Cleveland while Shamet hasn’t seen action since Jan. 16 at Memphis due to right foot soreness.
The Suns traded Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a pick swap to Brooklyn for Durant and Warren right before the Feb. 9 deadline.
Playing his first five seasons in Phoenix, Warren scored just seven total points on 3-of-5 shooting against the Kings and Clippers in his return to the team after the trade, but he’s averaging 15 points for his NBA career that began in 2014.
“We do like the fact that you have a guy that’s 6-8 that can step on the floor and just go for buckets,” Williams said about Warren, who missed the entire 2021-22 season with a foot injury.
Williams admitted before the OKC game of putting Warren in a “tough spot,” by not playing him extended minutes so he could find a rhythm. The Suns head coach also said at the time he had to start figuring out who to play with Durant on the horizon to make his Suns debut.
“I feel like I have to have an open mind going forward, but also make sure guys have a rhythm and not do what I did the last couple of games (against the Kings and Clippers)," Williams said. "I tried to play like 18 guys last game (laughs). I think at some point, it’s got to get to that 9 1⁄2, 10-man rotation with the idea that Kevin will be back soon and that shrinks it even more.”
Terrence Ross has played in all three games he’s been available after Phoenix acquired him in the buyout market, but forward Darius Bazley hasn’t seen action as the Suns traded Dario Saric and a second-round pick to OKC for him right before the trade deadline.
Ish Wainright, who signed a multiyear last week to fill the final spot on the standard 15-man roster after being on a two-way contract, played the most minutes of anyone off the bench in Sunday’s loss.
The 6-5 forward scored five points and grabbed four rebounds in 18 minutes.
Jock Landale, Ross, Payne and Lee were the other four reserves to see action Sunday. Ross and Landale each scored seven while Lee and Payne scored two each.
Payne shot 1-of-7 (0-of-2 on 3s) after going for 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting (3-of-5 from 3) against OKC in his return game.