NBA preseason: Devin Booker’s distribution, Lakers’ rim protection hopes and Houston's spacing solution

The IkoSystem is analyzing NBA trends for the 2025-26 season, with this week's focus on Phoenix's playmaking plan, Ayton-Hayes Island, and a spacing fix in Houston's lineup.

Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott has established a strong rapport with players, as evidenced by media day, training camp, and a preseason game, with players like Devin Booker praising Ott's insights on halfcourt execution, Grayson Allen highlighting the emphasis on preparation and movement, and Jalen Green emphasizing pace and extra possessions. Ott aims to increase the team's speed, as the Suns ranked poorly in time of possession metrics last season, including 19th after opponent field goals and last after defensive rebounds, according to Inpredictable, indicating a shift away from a traditional point guard system.

Despite Phoenix's offensive struggles last season, they performed well in areas such as halfcourt points per play (9th), passes made (4th), assists (10th), and 3-point percentage (3rd), largely due to veterans like Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, who are no longer with the team. This places greater responsibility on Devin Booker, who excelled in a recent game against the Los Angeles Lakers with a game-high seven assists and only one turnover, showcasing his comfort in a lead ball-handler role.

Ott's offensive strategy relies on constant motion to keep defenses off-balance, eliminating the need for a traditional point guard and allowing Booker to initiate plays quickly, similar to how the Thunder used Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. An example play involves Ryan Dunn moving to the corner, Dillon Brooks relocating, and Oso Ighodaro setting a screen for Booker beyond the perimeter, creating space for Booker to operate and exploit mismatches, such as putting Deandre Ayton in a difficult position.

Booker's playmaking is crucial, as he has consistently ranked in the 92nd percentile or higher in assist percentage over the past eight seasons, with a career-best 7.1 assists in 2024-25, low turnover rates, and high usage. His gravity and scoring efficiency enable Ott's system, where multiple players, including Royce O'Neale, Dillon Brooks, Collin Gillespie, Jalen Green, and Grayson Allen, can contribute to playmaking in a committee approach, with Booker leading the charge.