Phoenix Suns’ James Jones, with close ties to LeBron James, braces for Lakers series

On the eve of opening weekend for the NBA playoffs, members of the Phoenix Suns group gathered collectively to pop bottles of champagne. They may as properly have been on ice for a decade.

For the primary time since 2010, the Suns are again within the postseason, thanks largely to a trio of leaders added within the final two years: Normal supervisor James Jones, head coach Monty Williams and level guard Chris Paul.

“It was extra a celebration of the staff,” Jones stated of the champagne toast in a wide-ranging interview with ESPN. “A variety of them who’ve been right here for ages. … Coming by way of COVID this previous yr and a half, it’s been quite a bit. We’ve requested quite a bit from them … [So] simply exhibiting them some love. They do quite a bit for us.”

Come Sunday, when the champagne bubbles could have lengthy settled within the Suns staffers’ stomachs, the group’s euphoria will get a intestine examine. Phoenix’s payoff for incomes the No. 2 file within the Western Convention is a primary spherical date with the defending champs, when Recreation 1 ideas off towards LeBron James and the No. 7-seeded Los Angeles Lakers (3:30 ET, ABC).

There are few who know James fairly like Jones does.

When he retired at age 36 after a 14-year profession, the final seven of these seasons had been spent as a teammate of James in Miami and Cleveland — making it to seven straight NBA Finals collectively.

James, now 36 himself, is making an attempt to run his private streak to 10 straight playoff appearances culminating in an NBA Finals berth, however he’ll have to begin off because the highway workforce for the primary time in his profession. In his 15 earlier postseason runs, his groups had been by no means seeded decrease than No. 4.

“I imply, LeBron’s the best,” Jones stated. “He’s the very best participant within the league. I’m biased. I do know him. I’ve seen him up shut and private. He’s nice. There’s no different strategy to describe him and he’s the last word competitor. And he’s actually good. And you must beat actually good gamers and actually good groups to do what you wish to do — do what we wish to do, do what I wish to do, which is win a title.”

Of their historical past, the Suns have made the playoffs 30 occasions and have zero championships to indicate for it. James personally has 4 rings, taking three organizations to the promised land.

“It’s a problem. It’s a fantastic problem. And it’s enjoyable,” Jones stated. “You reside for these alternatives. You don’t take it with no consideration. Since you don’t get an opportunity to compete towards the best fairly often. And so, I’m simply excited. I’m simply as geeked for the chance to play him as I’m positive he’s taking part in our workforce. It’s simply enjoyable. I’m wanting ahead to it.

“Significantly, I’m wanting ahead to it. And I’m not even taking part in. … It’s the kind of stuff you speak about for years to return. As a result of I plan on being on this trade for a very long time, and I do know he does too.”

If his early returns on the job are any indication, he might be. Jones took over a Suns workforce that went 19-63 in 2018-19, incomes them the No. 1 choose.

Regardless of proprietor Robert Sarver’s status being spotty at finest, Jones, who performed in Phoenix from 2005-07, relished the chance and noticed a distinct aspect to Sarver.

“I used to be a finance main in school, banking would have been my path,” Jones stated. “And Robert was a banker and a man who knew finance. So there was a baseline curiosity on my half to grasp what he did and perceive who he’s.”

The rebuild was fast.

Jones drafted heart DeAndre Ayton with the highest choose a few months after being named GM, then took wing participant Cameron Johnson at No. 10 and traded for an additional wing, Mikal Bridges. The draft evening haul gave Devin Booker, who’d already confirmed himself to be a gifted scorer, younger expertise to develop with.

He additionally employed Williams, who had coached as an assistant when Jones performed a lone season for the Portland Path Blazers in 2007-08, to man the sidelines after Williams walked away from the interview course of with the Lakers.

“When you will have a coach that you simply not solely respect professionally however personally, then you will have a relationship that’s greater than basketball,” Jones stated. “Monty talks about doing laborious issues, it’s powerful to do laborious issues with folks you don’t like. … It’s straightforward to do the laborious issues with folks that you simply love. In order that’s how I have a look at it.”

Final yr, due to an 8-0 run within the bubble, they went 34-39. Jones scanned the league seeking to enhance, and it grew to become clear that the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder had been seeking to store Paul.

“When Chris grew to become obtainable, we had some conversations round, ‘Did we imagine that our workforce was structured in a method the place we might amplify what he does the place we might assist him?’ … Like, I do know Chris might help me. I do know each workforce is aware of that Chris might help them. Each single certainly one of them. However what number of of them really feel that they’re ready to assist him? And I believed that may very well be our benefit.

“After I checked out how our workforce was constructed, I simply felt like, ‘You understand what? We now have an opportunity.’ And if Chris can see what we see and the way he might thrive right here, then I feel we’ll be in a great place.”

This yr, with Paul, the Suns had been higher than good. Phoenix completed with the second-best file within the league at 51-21. Coming into the season, Jones knew he had put his workforce in place to enhance, however didn’t restrict his expectations with a label. A playoff workforce? Contender? Champion?

“I don’t make the excellence. I simply have a look at it like, you might be aggressive otherwise you’re not,” Jones stated. “You wish to say that development is linear. … Nevertheless it’s so dynamic from yr to yr, I don’t have a look at it that method. You generally is a workforce that’s struggling one yr and unhealthy after which a workforce that’s fully wholesome the following yr whereas everybody else is unhealthy and be proper there. And should you’re aggressive, you give your self a shot to reap the benefits of these alternatives.

“Going into this yr, I used to be like, man, if we’re aggressive, we’ll give ourselves a shot. As a result of that’s all you want. You simply have to be aggressive.”