Among the many questions on my mind, the ones about the Suns’ passing this season keep coming back: How clean is their ball handling? In what situations do they turn the ball over the most? Are they really playing fast? Many questions often go unanswered, or at least aren’t fully explored.
Today, I decided to dig seriously into this topic, analyzing key stats from the last 500–600 Suns turnovers (excluding offensive fouls and violations) since the start of the season. Enjoy the read!
According to available data, the Suns average around 570 passes per game this season. That’s a high volume, clearly in the upper range of the league. For comparison, the Thunder average 494, and the Cavaliers 644 passes. If we dig further, looking at passes per possession (Phoenix averages about 100 possessions per game), we get 5.7 passes per offensive possession.
Even if that doesn’t always mean pace, it confirms what the Suns have been trying to show all season: the ball moves…a lot. This figure is interesting because it reflects collective intent, even on a roster where Devin Booker remains a major playmaker (30.1% AST, 35% ball dominance), and Collin Gillespie acts as a secondary creator (23.8% AST, 31%). These numbers aren’t extravagant, showing it’s not “elite” passing, but rather a shared, team-oriented passing.
The Suns play about 100 possessions per game. For veterans, that can be fast, but in today’s NBA, it’s actually slow (22nd in pace). So yes, they pass a lot, but in a controlled, half-court, highly systemic style. This completely nuances the idea of “fast” or “run & gun” teams that have made the franchise famous in the past.
Looking deeper at touches highlights the Suns’ passing DNA: a methodical, structured game where actions are generally built carefully. With 3.05 seconds and 2.37 dribbles per touch (15th and 19th), Phoenix prioritizes reading the defense over speed — though they can certainly accelerate the tempo when needed. Initiation zones confirm this profile: very few post-ups (24th), moderate use of elbows (22nd), but more emphasis in the paint (15th). Everything points to half-court passing, intentional, perimeter-focused, aiming to create three-point opportunities, perfectly matching the team’s slow pace.
The results? The Suns generate a lot without being ultra-sharp: 25 assists for 45.7 potential passes, 65.7 points created, and 3.8 secondary assists. An AST-to-pass% of 8.9% shows patient, constructed passing rather than aggressive ball-hawking. It reflects both the team’s pace and the tendency to be inconsistent in some sequences or games.
Looking at the 594 turnovers this season, I divided the analysis into two parts: first, who loses the ball the most? Second, in which situations?
Unsurprisingly, Devin Booker leads with 125 turnovers. 64 of them on bad passes; Collin Gillespie and Royce O’Neal round out the podium with 80 and 68. But looking at turnover rate (TOV%, the percentage of a player’s possessions ending in a turnover) tells a different story, as it measures efficiency rather than volume.
Oso Ighodaro tops the chart at 21.7% TOV, a concerning figure (he has only 12% usage, meaning he loses one in five possessions), but still workable as a sophomore with added responsibility. Ryan Dunn and Royce O’Neale hover around 15%. Booker and Gillespie steer the ship cleanly at ~13%, excellent numbers.
Booker is slowly becoming a reliable primary creator. He is elite in half-court decision-making, stabilizing the offense. This season, only six players have +1000 minutes, +30% AST, +30% USG, and <15% TOV: Booker, Luka Dončić, James Harden, Cade Cunningham, LaMelo Ball, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Now, the core of the work: the goal isn’t just analyzing a single game, but understanding a team as a dynamic system. By studying possessions — especially turnovers — I aim to separate structural trends (tactics, talent, team DNA, schemes) from contextual factors (fatigue, injuries, lineups, opponent adaptation, pace).
The goal isn’t to predict a score, but to anticipate scenarios: spot recurring vulnerabilities, understand when they emerge, and distinguish what remains stable from what fluctuates.
This work will take time and a deep video study. Eventually, the tracking will allow objective insights, like “33% of DHO actions at the top of the key in Q4 against a top-10 defense end in turnovers.”
Looking at the numbers, the Suns’ biggest ball exposure isn’t isolation, but speed and primary creation. Transition is the main friction point: 13.1% TOV on 18.8 possessions, high and frequent, usually caused by moments of haste or inattention. Next is ball-handler pick-and-roll: 13% TOV on 21.8 possessions. Even though their league ranking (4th/30) shows they are relatively clean, the volume naturally produces turnovers.
By contrast, isolation (9.9% on 6.9 possessions) and post-up (8.2% on 3.4 possessions) are well-controlled, low-volume plays — clearly not Phoenix’s game this season. Roll man in PNR seems secure (9.8%, 5.4 possessions) but is rarely used; DHO (11.4%, 5 possessions) is secondary and should be optimized.
Ultimately, the Suns’ passing reflects neither chaos nor over-reliance on isolation. It shows a structured, patient team focused on half-court play. The ball moves a lot, within a methodical framework as emphasized by Jordan Ott, and turnovers appear mostly when pace increases, or primary creation is pressured.
The issue isn’t volume, it’s context. Identifying situations where the ball is most vulnerable helps understand Phoenix’s true identity, and anticipate weaknesses rather than merely observe them.
