The G League team features two former local stars, TyTy Washington and Paul Watson.
Basketball fans who aren’t familiar with the G League world will find a treat in watching the Valley Suns’ inaugural season: former stars of the Arizona prep basketball scene.
Head coach John Little said Wednesday at Valley Suns Media Day the Phoenix area is “really rich in basketball.” That includes two local products on the training camp roster, Ty-Ty Washington Jr. and Paul Watson.
“(The area has) produced guys like Ty-Ty and Paul as well, who have been around the G League, been two-ways,” Little said. “Just speaks to the talent that’s here in this Phoenix area, and even better that we’re gonna have some local guys that the fans and the whole community can support and get around.”
valley suns head coach john little said the phoenix area is “really rich in basketball.”
he says fans will rally behind locals tyty washington and paul watson. pic.twitter.com/jfCdVR8iYQ
— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) October 30, 2024
Washington was featured at Phoenix Cesar Chavez High and AZ Compass Prep in Chandler before becoming a first-round pick out of Kentucky. He took Compass to GEICO Nationals as a senior and fell to Montverde in the semifinals, as his potential game-winning 3 rimmed out at the buzzer.
Watson was an all-state player at Paradise Valley High where he led the Trojans to a Division II state championship before playing four years at Fresno State. He would go undrafted in 2017, but he worked out for the local team in the pre-draft process.
Each have played more than 40 NBA games with a handful of starts, so they’re approaching this hopeful to get back, especially since Washington is on a two-way contract with Phoenix.
tyty washington and paul watson on landing back home in the valley this summer pic.twitter.com/AYVqmsEsSB
— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) October 30, 2024
Washington said his family lives about 10 minutes away from Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena, where the Valley Suns will play their home games. Watson said he has kept the Valley as a home base during off-seasons, where he gets a lot of his training checked off.
With the benefit of familiarity from a previous stint in Milwaukee shared with Phoenix head coach Mike Budenholzer and Little, as well as the preseason he spent with Phoenix, Washington feels comfortable in the role he’ll have with the G League team.
“Coming out here, it’s pretty much just implementing the same stuff that I learned up there and just coming out here and being an extension on the floor of the coach,” Washington said. “Pretty much helping Coach Lit out with the little stuff. Being vocal is gonna be a huge thing for me.”
Watson, meanwhile, sees the emphasis the organization has placed on shooting, and said Little wants him to fire away.
“(Little) wants me to shoot the ball quite a bit, a lot of 3s. I know that’s been the talk especially with the Phoenix Suns, and they want the same thing done here,” Watson said. “Just a lot of 3s and continuing to bring energy on the defensive end and just try to be a leader in any way I can.”
The Valley Suns begin their inaugural season with a back-to-back against the Santa Cruz Warriors on the road Nov. 8-9. The home opener at Mullett Arena on Arizona State’s Tempe campus will be Nov. 11 against the Stockton Kings. Get tickets here.