Grayson Allen is going the distance, increasing his 3-point range this season.
The Phoenix Suns’ sharpshooter is clipping his career’s second-lowest average 35% from the perimeter. That’s on 6.7 attempts per game, the most of his seven-year career, and from deeper spots.
According to Stathead, Allen has hoisted six 30-footers through the first month of this season. He’s already on pace to eclipse his nine total from that far out last year when he was the NBA’s top 3-point shooter (46.1%).
“I was practicing deep 3s all summer and it’s helped my volume so far in the year, playing less minutes and getting up more 3s,” Allen said at the Suns’ practice media availability Friday.
Allen’s 6.7 attempts are tied with Bradley Beal for the Suns’ second-most behind Devin Booker (7.6). Allen averaged 5.9 last season, in which he set the franchise’s single-game record nine made 3s thrice.
That’s despite Allen getting less playing time at 21.8 minutes per game off the Suns bench than his 33.5 minutes last season as a starter.
“Because I’m able to space out a little bit more I can get an extra one or two up if I’m being out there,” Allen said. “But I also can’t just fall in love with 30-footers, and then attack a little bit more. I feel very comfortable shooting it that deep. I’ve made a lot of deep 3s so far this year.”
The regulation 3-point distance above the break, or the semi-circle including the wings and top of the key, is 23 feet and 9 inches. The corners of the arc are 22 feet.
Allen’s made 2-of-6 from 30-plus feet, all in November. During the Suns’ 138-122 loss on Wednesday, he missed both his 30-foot shots among his eight total attempts from 3, and made one triple from 26 feet. Last season when Allen joined the Suns after being traded from the Milwaukee Bucks, he made his first two attempts from 30-plus feet and finished 3-of-9 from that deep.
Allen shot 7-of-17 on 3s from 30-plus feet in the two seasons he played for the Milwaukee, before he was traded to Phoenix in September 2023. Those 17 shots were when he was a starter for Milwaukee under their former coach Mike Budenholzer, who’s now with the Suns.
Budenholzer’s offensive system relies heavily on high-pace and space with a bunch of 3s. The Suns rank sixth in 3s made and fourth in 3s attempted through their first 16 games (9-7).
Allen attributes his increase in attempts from way out to his intense leg workouts this offseason at his college, Duke. He bulked up his legs in the weight room for his plan of “building a stronger base” and improved his “speed, power explosion.”
Allen’s missed four games this season from hip and hamstring injuries. But he’s still putting up 10.3 points, the Suns’ best of their second unit after he willfully moved to a backup role after helping recruit his fellow Duke product Tyus Jones to be their starting point guard.
“A lot of the power of your shot comes from your legs,” Allen said. “I’ve always almost felt like accuracy is up here and power is down here,” Allen said as he motioned his hands in a shooting form at his chest, then pointed to his lower body
Allen explained more about his muscle gains that have helped his deeper shooting range.
“Even though I’m not someone that jumps super high on their shot, it’s all about the rhythm and timing,” Allen said. “But just about to be on balance and under control from a couple feet back and not feel like I have to adjust anything in my form to get it there just make it feel like a much more comfortable shot.”
Allen praises Duke star Flagg’s versatility
Allen, a former first-round pick in 2018, is proud to be from the Duke brotherhood. He and his fellow Duke alumni on the Suns, Tyus Jones and Mason Plumlee, attended Duke’s 69-55 win over Arizona in Tucson on Friday, and to see their alma mater’s freshman star Cooper Flagg play.
“He’s been good,” Allen said before the game. “I’ve only watched maybe two of their games all the way through but I feel like he’s one of those guys you appreciate his skill set more watching his game.”
The 6-9 wing Flagg’s projected by most NBA pundits to become the No. 1 overall pick in June’s draft. He had the game-high 24 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal in the victory.
Flagg led Duke in every major statistic category at 16.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks through Duke’s previous four games before beating Arizona.
“He can go get 30 (points), but you’re not gonna check a box score and it’s not gonna be like, ‘Oh my God, he had an incredible game,'” Allen said. “But you watch the game, he’s got a handful of steals, a handful of deflections and rebounds, gets back on defense to alter some shots.
Allen added, “It’s like he does pretty much everything on the court to impact the game. He could be a guy that has 15-5-5-5 … He looks like a really good teammate and good guy to play with.”