PHX 120, CHI 110: Tre Jones's Big Night Wasted in CHI Defeat
Maya Chen
UX Designer ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Tre Jones Just Broke Your Waiver Wire, And The Suns Couldn't Stop Him
Suns 120, Bulls 110 - Look, I'm not gonna sit here and pretend this was a thriller. Phoenix came in, did their thing, and Chicago never really threatened down the stretch. But here's what matters for your league: Tre Jones just put on a clinic and single-handedly reminded everyone why depth matters in fantasy basketball.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tre Jones | 53.0 | 45.6 | 29/3/6 | 13.7/3.1/5.4 | +15.3 |
| Devin Booker | 41.0 | 41.6 | 30/3/4 | 25.8/3.9/6.0 | +4.2 |
| Collin Sexton | 28.0 | 34.3 | 18/9/1 | 15.3/2.2/3.3 | +2.7 |
| Jalen Green | 31.0 | 32.8 | 25/4/4 | 18.4/3.7/3.0 | +6.6 |
| Dillon Brooks | 31.0 | 31.3 | 15/4/3 | 20.4/3.6/1.8 | -5.4 |
| Leonard Miller | 27.0 | 29.0 | 17/10/2 | 6.9/3.5/0.7 | +10.1 |
| Oso Ighodaro | 35.0 | 28.8 | 6/4/2 | 6.5/5.1/2.3 | -0.5 |
| Isaac Okoro | 30.0 | 28.3 | 10/4/5 | 9.2/2.7/1.6 | +0.8 |
| Mark Williams | 28.0 | 26.1 | 14/8/1 | 11.6/8.0/1.0 | +2.4 |
| Collin Gillespie | 24.0 | 23.1 | 9/3/3 | 12.9/4.1/4.8 | -3.9 |
The Tre Jones Situation: Real or Mirage?
Okay, so Tre Jones dropped 45.6 Yahoo points. That's 15.3 more points than his season average. On 12-20 shooting. With a 4-4 free throw line. This isn't him getting carried by volume, either. This is efficient, controlled dominance from a guy who's been solid all year but never "pick him up off waivers" obvious.
Here's the thing though. He's already 44% owned on ESPN, so if you haven't grabbed him yet, you might be late. But let's be real, this game was close enough that Chicago needed someone to go off. Jones was that guy. The question is whether you expect this every night or if this was a "right place, right time" situation.
I'd lean toward the latter. Jones is a point guard who averages 5.4 assists, and tonight he hit 6. That's not a huge bump. The scoring pop (29 vs his 13.7 average) came from him shooting the lights out, which happens but doesn't always happen. If he's available in your league, grab him for depth. Don't expect 45 Yahoo FP every night.
Leonard Miller's Breakout Moment
Here's where it gets interesting. Leonard Miller put up 29.0 Yahoo FP on what looks like a normal night statistically (17/10/2), but compare that to his season average of 6.9/3.5/0.7. That's a +10.1 point spike. Kid nearly tripled his scoring while adding rebounds in a bench role.
Miller got 32 minutes. That's meaningful. If Chicago's giving him that kind of run going forward, he's a legitimate add in 12+ team leagues. A young player who can flirt with double digits in scoring and rebounds at under 10% ownership? That's league winner territory. I'm adding him before someone else figures this out.
The Suns Did Their Job (But Barely)
Devin Booker put up his usual 41.6 Yahoo FP and led Phoenix to a 10-point win. Solid. Not flashy, but when you're an All-NBA Second Team player, that's the expectation. He shot 9-22 though, which is a little rough, but he made up for it at the line (9-10). Classic Booker efficiency game.
Jalen Green was the real story on the Suns side, dropping 32.8 Yahoo FP on 11-21 shooting. That's +6.6 vs his season average, and it came from legitimate volume and efficiency. Green's looking like a legit scoring option when he gets 36 minutes like he did tonight. If you're in a league where he's still available, he should be on your radar.
Dillon Brooks actually flopped here, going -5.4 vs his season average on a night when the Suns needed more. 15 points on 6-15 shooting is just not it. Defensive stats saved him (2 steals, 1 block), but you want more from a guy who averages 20.4 PPG.
The Waiver Wire Takeaway
Grayson Allen got added by 1.2% of leagues after this game. He's at 44.1% ownership now. Here's the real talk: 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals on 16 minutes isn't a "must add" situation. This feels like panic reaction stuff. Hold off unless you're desperate for a defensive streamer.
The real targets from this game are Leonard Miller and Tre Jones if they're available in your league. Miller's got the upside play written all over him, and Jones is a solid floor guy who just proved he can hit ceiling games.
Bottom Line
Phoenix gets the win, but this was closer than they wanted. Chicago had their moments, and some of their younger guys stepped up when it mattered. For fantasy purposes, you're hunting for Miller on waivers and making sure Jones is on your roster. The rest of this game is just noise.