T. J. Warren

Anthony "T. J." Warren Jr. (born September 5, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Originally from Durham, North Carolina, Warren played college basketball as a small forward for the NC State Wolfpack in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In the 2013–14 season, he earned consensus second-team All-American honors and was named the ACC Player of the Year after leading the conference in scoring with an average of 24.9 points per game. Warren was picked in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft with the 14th overall pick by the Phoenix Suns. He spent five seasons with the Suns before being traded to the Pacers in 2019.

T. J. Warren
Warren with NC State in 2014
No. 1 – Indiana Pacers
PositionSmall forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1993-09-05) September 5, 1993
Durham, North Carolina
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolBrewster Academy
(Wolfeboro, New Hampshire)
CollegeNC State (2012–2014)
NBA draft2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall
Selected by the Phoenix Suns
Playing career2014–present
Career history
2014–2019Phoenix Suns
2019–presentIndiana Pacers
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

High school career

Warren graduated from Brewster Academy, but Warren also attended Riverside High School and Word of God Christian Academy prior to Brewster. He averaged 14 points per game on Word of God's team and his team finished the season at 24–3.[1] While at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, Warren was a small forward for his varsity basketball team. Ranked number 32 in the MaxPreps Class of 2012 Top 100, Warren became a hot commodity for college recruits. During his senior year of high school, Warren was viewed by multiple colleges, including North Carolina State University, Georgetown, and University of North Carolina. After visiting some of his prospective schools, Warren officially committed to North Carolina State University on November 2, 2011. Warren was recruited by Orlando Early, the assistant coach at NCSU.[2] Warren was part of the second highest ranked college basketball draft class by CBSsports along with Tyler Lewis and Rodney Purvis. All three of the players were All-Americans and natives of North Carolina.[3] He became the 23rd ranked prospect on the ESPN recruiting board for the 2012 recruiting class before committing to play for North Carolina State University.[4]

College career

Freshman season

As part of the 2012–13 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team, as a freshman Warren averaged 12.1 points a game and 4.2 rebounds in 27 minutes per game earning him the award of being named to the ACC All-Freshmen Team. He also led the ACC in shooting percentage that year at .622, or 62.2%.[4] Warren's best game that season came against Florida State on February 19, 2013, where he scored 31 points and had 13 rebounds.[4] He helped lead the Wolfpack back into the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament. As an 8 seed, they lost to Temple University in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The loss ended the team's season with a 24-11 record.[5]

Sophomore season
Warren dunks versus Boston College

Warren decided to stay for his sophomore year despite being rated as one of the top 31 prospects in the NBA draft during his freshman year. His main influence was his father who convinced him that playing another year at NC State would benefit Warren more, by allowing him to further develop his basketball skills and also improve his draft spot for the NBA.[6] His father is Tony Warren Sr., who played for NC State from 1977 to 1979 under Norm Sloan. Warren was only averaging 27 minutes a game his freshman season but knew his minutes would increase during his sophomore year. This is due to NC State's basketball team losing all of their starters from the previous year when he was a freshman. Warren showed great potential as a player, but during his freshman year he did not have many opportunities on the court to show his talent due to his playing time.

Warren had career highs in points with 41 against Pittsburgh, followed by a 42-point performance versus Boston College. He led his team to the final 64 in NCAA tournament, with a 12 seed, after beating Xavier in the first four, but ended his sophomore season losing to St. Louis in the second round after scoring 28 points.[7] For the year, Warren averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while playing an average of 35.4 minutes per game.[8]

Warren led his school to a 22-14 record and went 9-9 in the ACC in his sophomore year. He ended up leading the team with 7.1 rebounds per game and 1.8 steals per game. He also is the first player from the school to win ACC Player of the Year since Julius Hodge.[9]

In April 2014, Warren declared for the NBA draft, foregoing his final two years of college eligibility.[10]

Awards and honors

In 2014, Warren was in the running for the 38th Annual Wooden Award which is awarded to the National Player of the Year for the collegiate basketball season. He was named to the Mid-Season Wooden Watch list where he was one of 25 players seriously considered for the award.[11]

At the end of the 2014 season, Warren was one of the top in the ACC in offensive rebounds and was among the league leaders in both overall rebounding and steals. At the conclusion of the regular season, Warren was named ACC Player of the Year.[12] Warren was also named second team All-American by the Associated Press and The Sporting News at the end of the season, as well as first team All-ACC.[13][14]

On February 24, 2019, Warren was honored by NC State, with his no. 24 jersey being raised to the rafters of PNC Arena in a pregame ceremony.[15]

Professional career

2014–15 season

On June 26, 2014, Warren was selected with the 14th overall pick by the Phoenix Suns in the 2014 NBA draft. On July 12, 2014, Warren made his NBA Summer League debut, recording 22 points and 4 rebounds in a loss to the Golden State Warriors.[16][17] He went on to earn All-NBA Summer League second team honors.[18] On August 8, 2014, he signed with the Suns.[19] On October 21, 2014, Warren sustained a small crack in a bone in his left thumb, sidelining him for a few weeks.[20][21] He returned from injury on November 9 to make his NBA debut against Golden State. He recorded no points in just over a minute of action in a 107–95 win.[22] He went on to record his first NBA career points and rebounds with seven and three respectively in the Suns' 118–114 win over the Boston Celtics on November 17.[23] During his rookie season, Warren received multiple assignments to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League.[24]

On March 11, 2015, Warren had a season-best game with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting and 5 rebounds in a 106–97 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[25] On March 29, he scored a season-high 18 points in a season defining 109–97 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. On April 4, he scored 15 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors in a close 107–106 loss. Finally, to end the 2014–15 season, Warren had his first professional start as a power forward in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[26]

2015–16 season

In July 2015, Warren re-joined the Suns for the 2015 NBA Summer League.[27] After averaging 22.4 points per game in Las Vegas, Warren earned All-NBA Summer League first team honors.[28] On November 12, 2015, he tied his career-high of 18 points in a 118–104 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[29] Four days later, Warren surpassed that mark by scoring 19 points in a 120–101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[30] He was once again very efficient against the Lakers, being the ninth time he made two-thirds of his shots on at least nine attempts in his first 50 NBA appearances, becoming the first player since Yao Ming to do so.[31] On November 27, he scored a then career-high 28 points in a loss to the Golden State Warriors.[32] Two days later, he recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in a 107–102 win over the Toronto Raptors.[33] On December 31, he scored a career-high 29 points in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.[34] On February 2, 2016, Warren was ruled out for the rest of the season with a broken right foot.[35][36]

2016–17 season

In September 2016, Warren returned to the court for the first time in nine months.[37][38] The following month, he was named the team's starting small forward to begin the season with P. J. Tucker out injured.[39] On October 28, 2016, Warren scored a career-high 30 points in a 113–110 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.[40] On November 2, he had his third 20-point game of the season,[41] scoring 27 points in a 118–115 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers.[42] Two days later, Warren recorded 18 points and six rebounds, and made a critical game-winning dunk with 7.1 seconds left in overtime, to lead the Suns to a 112–111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.[43] On November 23, he was ruled out indefinitely due to a minor head injury.[44] He returned to action on December 17 against the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing 13 games.[45] He returned to the starting line-up on December 31 against the Utah Jazz, and on January 2, he led the Suns with 24 points in a 109–98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[46] On March 9, he had 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in a 122–110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.[47][48] On April 7, he set a new career high with 16 rebounds to go with 23 points in a 120–99 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.[49]

2017–18 season

On September 26, 2017, Warren signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension with the Suns.[50][51] On November 1, 2017, he scored 28 of his career-high 40 points in the second half of the Suns' 122–116 win over the Washington Wizards.[52] On November 11, 2017, he had a 35-point effort in a 118–110 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[53]

2018–19 season

On November 17, 2018, Warren scored 23 points in a 110–100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was his fifth straight 20-point game, a career best.[54] On December 13, he scored a season-high 30 points in a 99–89 win over the Dallas Mavericks.[55]

Indiana Pacers (2019–present)

On June 20, 2019, Warren and the No. 32 pick in the 2019 NBA draft were traded to the Indiana Pacers. The pick was then traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for three second-round picks. The Pacers sent money back to the Phoenix Suns.[56] The trade was finalized on July 6, 2019.[57] On February 12, 2020, Warren scored a team-high 35 points on 16-19 shooting, along with seven rebounds and four steals in a 118–111 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.[58]

On August 1 in the 2020 NBA Bubble, Warren scored a new career-high 53 points on 20/29 shooting (including 9/12 three-pointers scored) in a 127–121 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He was also the first player to score 50+ points since the return of the NBA post hiatus.[59] The performance was the third most points a player had ever scored in a single game in franchise history, behind Reggie Miller's 57 points in 1992, and Jermaine O'Neal's 55 points in 2005.[60] On August 15, Warren was named to the All-Bubble First Team after averaging 31 points across the 8 bubble seeding games.[61]

On December 31, 2020, the Indiana Pacers announced that Warren would undergo surgery to repair a small left navicular stress fracture.[62] Warren underwent surgery for the stress fracture as planned on January 4, 2021.[63]

Personal life

Warren is the son of former North Carolina State basketball player Tony Warren.

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2014–15 Phoenix 40115.4.528.238.7372.1.6.5.26.1
2015–16 Phoenix 47422.8.501.400.7033.1.9.8.311.0
2016–17 Phoenix 665931.0.495.263.7735.11.11.2.614.4
2017–18 Phoenix 656533.0.498.222.7575.11.31.0.619.6
2018–19 Phoenix 433631.6.486.428.8154.01.51.2.718.0
2019–20 Indiana 676732.9.536.403.8194.21.51.2.519.8
Career 32823228.8.507.361.7794.11.21.0.515.5

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020 Indiana 4439.0.471.3681.0006.33.02.3.320.0
Career 4439.0.471.3681.0006.33.02.3.320.0

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2012–13 NC State 351427.0.622.519.5424.2.81.2.412.1
2013–14 NC State 353535.4.525.267.6907.11.11.8.624.9
Career 704931.2.555.315.6545.71.01.5.518.5

References
  1. "T.J. Warren Commits to NC State". Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  2. "T.J. Warren Yahoo! Sports". Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  3. Borzello, Jeff (November 9, 2011). "Arizona, N.C. State early leaders for 2012's top class". CBS Sports. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  4. "T.J. Warren Bio – NC State University Official Athletic Site". Gopack.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  5. "State loses to Temple in First NCAA Tourney Game". WolfpackWorld.com. 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  6. Giglio, Joe (2013-04-23). "Warren puts NBA on hold, will return for N.C. State". news & observer. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  7. Keith, Ted (20 March 2014). "St. Louis stages furious comeback to beat T.J. Warren and N.C. State in overtime". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 21 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  8. "T.J. Warren Stats- ESPN". Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  9. Boyd, Jason (24 March 2014). "N.C. State's T.J. Warren to enter NBA draft". Sporting News. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  10. Borzello, Jeff (2014-03-24). "NC State's T.J. Warren heading to the NBA". cbssports.com.
  11. "Scout.com: Warren Makes Midseason Wooden Watch List". Northcarolinastate.scout.com. 2014-01-22. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  12. "NC State's Warren Voted ACC Player Of The Year". theacc.com. March 11, 2014.
  13. "T.J. Warren Named AP Second Team All-America". GoPack. 31 March 2014. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  14. "2013-2014 All ACC Team Announced". Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  15. "TJ Warren to be Honored Sunday". gopack.com. February 18, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  16. Suns at Warriors
  17. Warren Shines as Suns Fall to Warriors
  18. Rice, Jr. named MVP, leads All-NBA Summer League team
  19. "Suns Sign First-Round Picks T.J. Warren and Tyler Ennis". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  20. Warren Suffers Broken Thumb, No Timetable for Return
  21. Suns rookie T.J. Warren fractures left thumb, out indefinitely
  22. Thomas leads Suns over Warriors 107-95
  23. Morris, Suns pull out 118-114 win over Celtics
  24. "All-Time NBA Assignments". NBA.com. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  25. Markieff Morris leads Suns past Timberwolves, 106-97
  26. T.J. Warren 2014-15 Game Log
  27. Suns Announce 2015 Summer League Roster
  28. "Spurs forward Kyle Anderson named Summer League MVP". SI.com. July 19, 2015. Archived from the original on July 20, 2015.
  29. "Knight, Bledsoe lead Suns past short-handed Clippers 118-104". NBA.com. November 12, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  30. "Knight's triple-double lifts Suns to 120-101 win over Lakers". NBA.com. November 16, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  31. Coro, Paul (November 16, 2015). "Suns finish off Lakers late as Brandon Knight posts first career triple-double". AZCentral.com. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  32. Curry scores 41 points, Warriors pour in 3s to go 17-0
  33. Eric Bledsoe powers Suns past Raptors, 107-102
  34. Westbrook leads Thunder to 110-106 victory over Suns
  35. Sources: Suns’ T.J. Warren to miss rest of season with broken foot
  36. Suns forward T.J. Warren out for rest of season
  37. Suns' T.J. Warren on road to recovery
  38. T.J. Warren Happy to Be Healthy, Eyes Increased Role
  39. Phoenix Suns' Brandon Knight will come off the bench
  40. Russell Westbrook's 51 triple-double points most since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  41. @TonyWarrenJr has his third 20-point game of...
  42. Bledsoe's 3 sinks Blazers in OT, 118-115
  43. Booker leads Suns to OT win over winless Pelicans
  44. T.J. Warren Out Indefinitely Due To Minor Head Injury
  45. Westbrook claims 50th career triple-double; Thunder top Suns
  46. Clippers beat Suns 109-98, end 6-game skid to start new year
  47. Russell scores 28, Lakers finally win in Phoenix 122-110
  48. @TonyWarrenJr has his second straight double...
  49. Thunder vs. Suns – Box Score
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  51. Wojnarowski, Adrian (September 25, 2017). "Sources: T.J. Warren reaches 4-year, $50 million extension with Suns". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  52. "Warren has career-high 40, Suns rally to beat Wiz 122-116". ESPN.com. November 1, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  53. "Booker, Warren score 35 apiece, Suns beat Timberwolves". ESPN.com. November 11, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  54. "George, Adams lead Thunder past Phoenix 110-100". ESPN.com. November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  55. "Spurs earn largest win of the season, beat Clippers 125-87". ESPN.com. December 13, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  56. "Source: Pacers land Warren in trade with Suns". ESPN.com. 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  57. "Pacers Acquire T.J. Warren". NBA.com. July 6, 2019.
  58. "Nightly Notable: T.J. Warren | Feb. 12". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  59. "Warren scores career-high 53 as Pacers beat 76ers 127-121". NBA.com. August 1, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  60. "Game Rewind: Pacers 127, 76ers 121". NBA.com. August 1, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  61. "Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard wins bubble MVP; Suns' Monty Williams named top coach". ESPN.com. 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  62. "T.J. Warren Injury Update - Dec. 31, 2020". NBA.com. December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  63. "Pacers' T.J. Warren: Undergoes surgery Tuesday". cbssports.com. 2021-01-06. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
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