A lot of things come naturally to T.J. Warren. Scoring is one. Being quiet is another. He can – and has – drop(ped) 10 points in as many minutes or fewer, yet he is the last person to acknowledge it. A simple finger-point to the assist man is usually enough. More often, the North Carolina native remains expressionless while running back on defense.
His Suns coaches and teammates maintain that Warren’s low-key nature is a 24-hour thing. Big plays in practice are met with the same taciturn response.
That’s no small feat considering P.J. Tucker is usually the one guarding him. Phoenix’s starting small forward is just as abrasive in practice as he is in a game. His words and taunts are punctuated by bumps and bruises, making for a daily rite of passage for the Suns’ lone remaining rookie on the roster.
Soarin' Warren
Tucker’s calling card is defense, a reputation made all the more precious since earning his NBA ticket the hard way. The former second-round pick and well-traveled forward is seen as a survivor that now forces opponents to survive under his wilting pressure and non-stop physicality.
Under those conditions, Warren is just beginning to bloom.
“To have to go up against P.J. every day in practice…P.J. takes pride in his defense and not letting guys try to score, even in practice,” said Suns Head Coach Jeff Hornacek. “It forces T.J. to fight through some of that stuff and get fouled. In practice you’re not calling fouls like you do in games, so he learns to get bumped and hit. It’s good for a young player to go against a guy like that.”
It’s a reality check for Warren, who torched college basketball for 24.9 points per game in his sophomore season at North Carolina State. His ability to manufacture unorthodox yet efficient points translated well in Summer League and, more recently, at the NBA level.
“P.J. takes pride in his defense and not letting guys try to score, even in practice. It forces T.J. to fight through some of that stuff and get fouled. In practice you’re not calling fouls like you do in games, so he learns to get bumped and hit. It’s good for a young player to go against a guy like that.”
— Jeff Hornacek
Tucker, who matched up opposite of Warren in scrimmages well before training camp, learned quickly that rookie duties didn’t mean he had a rookie’s game.
“I love his aggressiveness,” Tucker said. “He never backs down. He plays hard. That’s all you can ask from a rookie.”
Countless rounds of Tucker’s defense in practice better prepared Warren for last month’s events. A hectic trade deadline and key injuries left the Suns’ depth depleted. Hornacek turned to the rookie, who showed a veteran-like flair for finding the open spots on the floor. Phoenix’s head coach liked how Warren moved without the ball, instilling motion in an offense that stalled more often than he’d prefer.
Yet Warren’s offensive production wouldn’t be sustainable if it weren’t for his progress on the other end of the floor. Phoenix was convinced to take him 14th overall after his pre-draft workout, where the former N.C. State star showed far better defense than advertised. The tools, they saw, were there. Now he just needed to refine them.
Again, Tucker’s influence came in handy, this time as an example rather than a challenge. Warren saw how body contact could be just as effective as quick hands, how staying with a man for a simple stop was better than lurking a half-step behind hoping for the steal, and how one needn’t shadow his defender on the weak-side and risk giving up a back-door cut and layup.
“I learn a lot from him on the defensive end,” Warren said. “He’s more experienced. He’s been around a little bit, familiar with the guys on this level. I’m definitely watching him on the defensive end, seeing how he makes other guys feel uncomfortable. I just want to take a little bit of that and continue doing me on the offensive end as far as moving without the ball and staying aggressive.”
After Tucker’s exhaustive journey to secure his own NBA place, Hornacek sees the veteran enjoying his new role.
“He probably thinks ‘hey, here’s a guy I can help mentor and show him the little things,” Hornacek said. “The grabbing around the waist at certain times, when to bump a guy and when not to. I think P.J. kind of enjoys that he has somebody to teach that stuff [to].”
Again, this particular mentor-youngster relationship is a case of opposites. Tucker has tried to bring Warren out of his soft-spoken shell all season, both on the court and in jest. The latter is taken with a smile and not much else. The former is answered with effort rather than words.
Warren Chases Down Shved
“It doesn’t look like T.J. even lets it bother him,” Hornacek said. “When [Tucker] gets talking in practice, T.J. doesn’t get wound up. He’s just his calm self. That’s a good sign that he’s not going to let things bother him and distract him from what he does.”
“We’re competitive players, so we want to feed off each other and try to make each other better,” Warren added.
Warren is a rookie, but he’s not clueless. He sees how Tucker’s in-your-face approach has prepared him for opponents who aren’t secretly rooting for him. Conversely, the veteran can’t help but whoop it up when Warren burns those same defenders with the same quiet, persistent play that even get the best of him sometimes.
“We couldn’t be more different,” Tucker laughed. “It’s like night and day.”