Highlights: T.J. Warren Continues Hot Start with 20 vs. Warriors
If you ask the Suns, they’ll tell you T.J. Warren’s emergence so far this season isn’t surprising. The team saw the forward’s potential begin to blossom last year before he went down with a foot injury in January.
Now healthy again, Warren has opened the 2016-17 campaign on a tear – averaging 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game through the first 11 contests.
Those numbers are finally beginning to grab the attention of experts across the country. Over at Sports Illustrated, Jeremy Woo recently named Warren as one of five late bloomers who are worth the hype.
“One clear early candidate for Most Improved Player is T.J. Warren, who has evolved into a consistent offensive role and emerged as a legitimate second scorer next to Devin Booker,” Woo wrote. “Warren’s never been known as a jump shooter, but has spotted up effectively and added a welcome dimension to a slightly wonky mixed bag of offensive tricks—floaters, dribble fadeaways and shots off the glass.”
The list also includes Julius Randle of the Lakers, Otto Porter of the Wizards, Jusuf Nurkic of the Nuggets and Zach LaVine of the Timberwolves.
Warren’s best game of the year to date came against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 28, when he dropped a career-high 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting.
Last season, Warren averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 47 games (43 off the bench). The 23-year-old now starts for the Suns and is on pace to shatter many of his previous personal bests. Phoenix, and now NBA pundits, believe he will only continue to improve.