Suns riding 3-game win streak after improbable comeback vs. Kings
In our latest Talking Phoenix Suns and NBA, the Suns have won their last three games with the latest victory coming Tuesday night against Sacramento.
Arizona Republic
The NBA’s Feb. 8 trade deadline is looming, and conventional wisdom says the Phoenix Suns need a point guard.
But do they?
Sometimes, it’s better to just work with what you’ve got; and it looks like coach Frank Vogel is starting to figure out how best to do that.
The Suns are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Any coincidence that’s exactly how long Bradley Beal has been back in the Phoenix lineup?
Not a chance.
This is the group we’ve been waiting to see, which is promising because the Suns can still get a lot better.
Guard somebody!
For example, the team still isn’t playing much defense.
Phoenix is giving up 114.3 points per game since Beal’s return, good for 12th in the NBA over the last 10 games. For context, nobody is playing better team defense lately than the Knicks or Cavaliers. They’re only giving up about 104 points per game over the last couple of weeks.
If the Suns were giving up just 104 points per game over their last 10, they’d be 10-0.
If they were giving up just 104 points per game on the season, they’d be 35-4 with one tie. That record would be good for best in the NBA. Instead, Phoenix is 22-18, good for No. 8 out West.
In fairness, the Timberwolves have the league’s best defense on the season, allowing 107.6 points per game. But by that measure, the Suns would be 32-8, still best in the league.
I think a vocal, demanding and smart point guard would improve the team’s defense by putting guys in their spots and organizing things on that end of the court, but I also think that Vogel should be able to figure this out, given his reputation as one of the game’s best defensive coaches.
Take the shot!
The Suns also aren’t shooting enough 3-pointers.
Over the last 10, only the Nuggets and Lakers have shot fewer 3-pointers per game than the Suns’ 31.8 attempts from long range.
The Suns should be firing away as soon as they cross halfcourt with guys like Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon.
Phoenix is shooting 40 percent from 3-point range as a team, good for fifth-best in the league over the last 10 games. (How many times have we heard Durant say “It’s a make-or-miss league”?)
The Big Three are commanding double teams just like we thought. That means somebody should be open on every possession. If guys like Josh Okogie and Chimezie Metu can learn to trust their jumpers and play with confidence, this group is going to be impossible to defend.
This should get better over time as guys get more and more comfortable.
We’re already seeing evidence of that.
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Shoot it again!
The Suns shot 11 3-pointers in the fourth quarter against the Kings on Wednesday. Going 7-for-11 from deep was a huge part of how the Suns were able to rally back from a 22-point deficit with 8 minutes to go for their best win of the season.
We can’t expect the Suns to shoot 44 3-pointers per game, that would be good for best in the league. But if they did shoot that many while hitting their season average of roughly 38 percent, it would be good for 51 points per game. Right now, Phoenix is only getting about 36 points per game from beyond the arc.
Could the Suns use a point guard? Of course. And if they could get one without giving up too much, then James Jones should do it.
But sometimes, it’s best to just work with what you’ve got; and it looks like Frank Vogel is starting to figure it out now that he’s got the roster we all expected him to have when the season started.
All they have to do is play better defense and trust their jump shots.
(By the way, orange you glad I made it through an entire analysis without any stupid puns?)
Reach Moore at [email protected] or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore.