Impressive debuts for Torrey Craig, Aaron Holiday hint at unfair future for Suns

One game against the 13-win Orlando Magic doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but for the Phoenix Suns, the impressive debuts of Torrey Craig and Aaron Holiday teased another level this title contender can still hit.

In Saturday night’s 132-105 victory, the Suns’ two newest members got their first bit of action in the Valley jerseys, and their fit couldn’t have been more seamless. Craig has played with this group before, and Holiday may struggle to carve out rotation minutes once Cam Payne returns from his wrist sprain, but in terms of jelling with a well-oiled machine, the Suns really couldn’t have asked for much more.

“It gives us some wing depth,” head coach Monty Williams said of the new additions. “With Torrey, he’s a guy that we valued last year, really liked him from the jump.”

But what did these two show in their debuts? And how much of it is sustainable?

Torrey Craig is back

In Craig’s return to Phoenix, the 31-year-old wing tallied 14 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals in 23 minutes off the bench, shooting 6-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.

For Craig and the rest of his teammates, it felt like he’d been here all season.

Things you love to see!

Welcome back, @TCraig_23 👏 pic.twitter.com/t1aEZEEV1g

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 13, 2022

“It literally feels like the same way it did last season, just coming in, fitting right in with guys, but I guess it’s that easy when you’re playing the right way,” Craig said of making his midseason debut with the Suns for the second year in a row. “We got a bunch of guys that play together and play to a certain standard, so it’s easy to fit in with those guys.”

“Obviously it felt like he didn’t leave at all,” Devin Booker said. “He’s right in here, the vibes are great. I’m happy to have him back.”

Almost all of the value Craig brought to the table last season was on full display Saturday night. While he only had 3 rebounds, his ability to grab a defensive board and push the ball up the court himself snagged him his first bucket:

His off-ball cutting remains as dangerous as ever, especially when the Suns have shooters and high-I.Q. playmakers at every position:

And he even knocked down two of his three 3-point attempts for good measure, with the third look being an off-the-dribble attempt late in the shot clock that just lipped out:

Craig shot a respectable 36.9 percent from long range last year in Phoenix, bucking his career 33.1 percent mark. Expecting him to shoot nearly 37 percent from downtown now that he’s back in Phoenix is unrealistic, but at the same time, Craig’s increased confidence seems to fit right in with this team’s “let it fly” mentality.

“His willingness to take shots, that’s something that I don’t know if he was as confident as he is right now last year,” Williams said. “Now, he’s just letting it go.”

For those skeptical of Craig’s ability to hold up from beyond the arc, it’s worth noting that he’s made 27 of his 62 corner 3s this season, converting them at a 43.5 percent clip.

“Just taking the shots that’s presented,” Craig explained. “I’ve been playing basketball a long time, so I know kind of when to take the right shots and when to take shots when you’re feeling it or when to make the extra pass.”

Torrey Craig in his return to Phoenix:

23 minutes
14 points
3 rebounds
4 assists
2 steals
6-8 FG (2-3 3P)
+21

No adjustment period needed!

— Sam Cooper (@scooperhoops) February 13, 2022

Williams and the Suns have complimented Craig’s feel for the game many times over the last year or so, but part of that success is rooted in familiarity with Phoenix’s personnel.

About an hour before Thursday’s trade deadline, Craig was practicing with the Indiana Pacers when the trade went through. After checking his phone and realizing he had a few missed calls from his agent, he found out he’d be returning to Phoenix. He went home, packed up and booked his flight, but before he arrived back in Arizona, he got a group FaceTime from Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Jae Crowder to welcome him back.

“T-Craig is one of us,” Paul said. “When we played him and he was with the Pacers, damn near passed him the ball ’cause I thought he was with us. But it’s good to have him back with us, man. He knows what the culture is like here.”

Off the court, that camaraderie wasn’t hard to pick up on. The Suns’ booray games felt incomplete without Craig around, but if Saturday’s starting intros were any indication, he’ll be back at the varsity table for those card games on the team plane rides:

Torrey Craig taking his familiar spots during starting lineups pic.twitter.com/0fK5wWjhbX

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) February 13, 2022

Even before the trade, the last time the Pacers were in town, Craig surprised his former teammates by showing up in the Suns locker room after the game, which Deandre Ayton said was a first. Craig originally bonded with Paul over the fact that they’re both from the Carolinas, and the easygoing but hard-working nature of the guys on this roster made him a natural fit.

“We think a lot about chemistry before we make any decision,” Williams said. “James [Jones] and I talk a lot. He’ll ask me my opinion on certain players, I try to help him as best I can, but chemistry is certainly a part of what we do. Jalen [Smith] was a big part of our chemistry. Guys loved him. So to bring someone in like Torrey certainly helps. If you’re going to lose someone like Jalen, you’d like to bring someone in like Torrey.”

This wasn’t the first time the Suns acquired Torrey Craig before the trade deadline, and it wasn’t even the second time the two sides had talked about a potential union. Phoenix had been interested in him in 2020 free agency before last year’s trade, and the team wanted to re-sign him in 2021 free agency as well. The Suns used a $5 million chunk of their Mid-Level Exception to sign JaVale McGee, which led Craig to sign with Indiana instead.

A few months later, history repeated itself, with Craig joining the Suns on a team-friendly deal via trade and immediately integrating himself.

Torrey Craig being 'Plug & Play' for Phoenix.

First stint & right away he nails the pin-in screen to get Cam a 3. A staple for the Suns. pic.twitter.com/q1KQLih36Q

— David (@theIVpointplay) February 13, 2022

“It’s funny, man, ’cause me and Monty was having a phone conversation the other day and he was like, ‘We’re like a marriage, we can’t get away from each other,'” Craig laughed. “I think it’s like the third time that we’ve been in contact and trying to come here and something happens and it just happens and I come back, so it’s crazy how things happen full-circle.”

On the court, the chemistry was just as apparent with his recognizable penchant for slipping those quick-hitting screens, catching a nifty bounce pass from his guard and finishing the layup before defenses even knew what hit them:

Even in the instance above where he missed the reverse layup, he and Elfrid Payton were in sync. Craig complimented Payton’s passing ability, remembering how he was looking at the guard’s eyes on the slip, but “the ball was already in my stomach.”

And that’s with Elfrid Payton. Just imagine what the chemistry will be like with Paul and Payne when he returns. Craig is shooting 66.4 percent on shots near the basket this season, which is well above the league average of 58.5 percent. The fact that he’s taking almost 38 percent of his shots from that area of the floor bodes well for his fit with this upgraded roster.

“I just think it starts with knowing the offense, what the coaches put in,” Craig said. “They created a system here where it’s kind of free-flowing and you kind of just play. You kind of just play off each other. So that’s one thing I noticed here, Monty gives you the freedom to kind of figure it out together.”

It wasn’t just scoring either; Craig’s 4 assists showcased his familiarity with the system and his basketball I.Q.:

Williams said he feels Craig’s playmaking often flies under the radar, but the Suns noticed it during his time with the Denver Nuggets.

“We feel like in our program, with the ball and body movement, you can show some of that,” he said. “Probably not as much when Chris and Book have the ball, but there’s times where guys have to make plays.”

Defensively, Craig’s positional versatility on the wing and even as an intermittent small-ball 5 will be huge for Phoenix come playoff time. Ish Wainright has showed flashes of that same ability, but Craig has proven he can do it in the postseason during playoff runs on different teams.

Phoenix’s “Wingstop” lineups with Craig and some combination of Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson looked as tantalizing as ever with their switchability and Craig’s defensive playmaking.

“That creates a lot of advantages for us on both sides of the ball,” Craig said of the wing-heavy lineups. “So having a lot of wing guys is definitely a weapon, and it’s definitely a value to have in this league.”

Despite being thrown in the fire on a title contender for the second year in a row, the early returns — combined with the familiarity of last year’s Finals run — means this Suns team is going to be scary good once he learns all the terminology and gets fully acclimated again.

“I just think he’s one of those guys that you throw him on the floor and he’ll figure out the spacing, when to cut, when not to cut, and then defensively, that’s his wheelhouse,” Williams said. “He understands how to play defense in a number of ways, guarding multiple positions but also understanding what to do on the weak side.”

The promise of a Holiday

As for the Suns’ other new addition? His debut mostly came in garbage time against a crappy opponent, but Holiday’s immediate production might have been even more impressive, given that it was his first time playing with this group.

In 9 minutes off the bench, Holiday racked up 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, and he shined in two key areas that he’s proven to be consistent in through his young NBA career: floaters and 3-pointers.

Inside the paint, Holiday drilled both of his floaters, the second of which was exceedingly difficult:

So far this season, Holiday is 29-for-55 on floaters, per NBA.com. That’s a 52.7 percent clip, and it’s an essential source of efficiency for a guy who’s only 6 feet tall.

As for the 3-point shooting, he knocked down two of his three attempts from distance. Though Holiday only made 34.3 percent of his triples with the Washington Wizards this year, he’s a career 36.9 percent shooter from distance. You can expect that percentage to rise with all the open looks he’ll be getting in this top-five Suns offense:

“You can tell he has a good feel for the game,” said Craig, who is the first NBA player to play with all three Holiday brothers. “I remember watching him in college and the way he got better each year. And then obviously in the league, known as a hard-nosed defender and just having a nice feel for the game offensively. You could kind of see it tonight, it’s just natural to him.”

Holiday didn’t get a chance to showcase much of his playmaking, aside from an alley-oop pass to Bismack Biyombo that the big man mishandled in midair. But the 25-year-old combo guard seems confident he’ll be able to fit in and contribute on the first real contender he’s every played for.

“Honestly, wherever coach wants me to contribute,” Holiday said. “I’m a player that I can do multi-things. For myself, I know defensive-wise, pressuring the ball and getting to guys. Even being on a string with other guys, I’m smart enough to really figure out defense and play at a high level. And offensively, I just try to go out there and play the same way. Push the pace, get my teammates involved and shoot when I’m open.”

Holiday has gone toe-to-toe with the Suns twice this season and was impressed by their unselfishness on offense and their togetherness on defense. It’s something he wants to be a part of, and the prospect of learning from a Hall-of-Famer like Chris Paul is especially attractive.

“Probably the best point guard to ever play the game.”

Aaron Holiday said it’s a blessing to be able to come in and learn from Chris Paul: pic.twitter.com/HlFUkUDEmK

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) February 12, 2022

“Man, that’s probably the best point guard to ever play the game,” he said. “So me coming in, that’s somebody I’m obviously gonna sit by and learn from. It’s a blessing, honestly. I get to go to work with him every day and pretty much pick his brain.”

Payne is still sidelined and Payton has been unreliable in his stead. Although Payton did play well in his first game with direct competition, Paul was averaging an unsustainable 37.5 minutes per game ever since Payne went down.

The nature of Saturday’s blowout probably contributed on this front, but Paul only logged 26 minutes with Holiday and Payton both lending capable minutes off the bench. And that was just Holiday’s first game in uniform.

It could very well be just a one-game fluke, but Holiday — who went to UCLA and grew up on the West Coast — is only going to get more comfortable in Phoenix. Playing for a winning team will do that, but so will being closer to his parents, as well as his brother, Justin Holiday, who was traded to Sacramento.

So if he does feel more comfortable, knocks down 3s at a respectable clip and hounds opposing ball-handlers as he’s prone to do, it may not be long before Payton’s minutes are put on the back burner for good. And when you combine that with Craig’s two-way impact, and then throw all of that on top of the team with the best record and point differential in the league? The Phoenix Suns are about to be downright unfair.

“They were No. 1 in the league without me, so hopefully I can keep that going,” Holiday said. “I’m just here to try to do my job and help the best way I can.”