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PALM DESERT, Calif. — The Phoenix Suns opened preseason play with a 103-81 win on Friday night, Oct. 3, over the Los Angeles Lakers at Acrisure Arena.
No Jalen Green (hamstring) or Mark Williams for the Suns.
No LeBron James or Luka Doncic for the Lakers.
Still meaningful as a preseason game can be. The Suns will head to China next week for two preseason games against the Brooklyn Nets.
Here are five takeaways from Friday's game.
Jordan Ott wants the Suns to play pressure defense, picking up the ball in the backcourt and ing being aggressive on the perimeter. Also have the big play high on pick-and-rolls.
They established that early.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves found himself having to fight off the ball pressure, but that also led to the Suns having to scramble on defense to help or “support,” as Ott likes to put it.
Offensively, Devin Booker said, the Suns want to make everyone a threat.
They showed that in multiple ways by having guys cut backdoor off dribble penetration, drive and kicks and looking to score in transition.
The pace wasn’t as fast as they talked about wanting it to be, but there were times they pushed it when numbers were there.
G: Devin Booker (24 points on 9-of-18 shooting, 6-of-8 FTs, 7 assists in 25 minutes). Booker was aggressive, looking to score, but found open shooters as he hit Dillon Brooks for an open made 3. He competed on defense in fighting around screens and took time to talk to teammates after plays, as he and Ryan Dunn had a quick chat after Dunn reacted to being called for a foul.
G: Grayson Allen (13 points, 3-of-6 from 3 in 22 minutes). He got the start for the injured Green. Hit 3s. That’s what he does, but Ott put him in playmaking situations. He turned the ball over, but then found Nick Richards later for a dunk. It can be hit or miss for him in that role, but this looks different if Green is in that role. Seeing Allen with four reserves may be how they use Green to have him be the No. 1 option and be aggressive to score.
F: Dillon Brooks (10 points, 3-of-4 from 3 in 25 minutes). Nothing has changed. He’s playing aggressive defense and shooting 3s. Had one trip when he got Bronny James in a postup, but Booker looked to score in transition. Brooks can fit with whoever is out there because he spaces the floor on offense and pressures the ball on defense. The Booker-Brooks interaction on the court shows they have connected on some level.
F: Ryan Dunn (4 points, 8 rebounds, 5 fouls in 22 minutes). This is tricky. He’s pressuring guards full court, but Dunn plays the four, which has him guarding in the post. Rui Hachimura scored on him in the paint twice as he backed Dunn down in the lane. Dunn made a cut off the ball that led to a layup off a Collin Gillespie assist, but then he drove across the lane and didn’t even look at the basket.
C: Oso Ighodaro (5 points, 9 rebounds, 5 fouls in 26 minutes). He’s an undersized big, but Deandre Ayton didn’t go at him as far as posting up. Ayton is more of a jump shooter, though. Ighodaro can be that hub on offense and have the offense run through him even though he’s not a scoring threat outside of the paint. He found Allen for a layup after Allen ran behind him and cut to the rim. That leads to asking, do the Suns run the same actions with Williams, rookie Khaman Maluach or Nick Richards?
Royce O’Neale, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Richards and Gillespie were the first subs of the bench for the Suns.
O’Neale is a 3-point shooter, but being a four puts him in a situation in which he has to get a body on the opposing center in the paint when the Suns big looks to play high on the pick-and-roll.
Nigel Hayes-Davis showed no hesitation taking the 3, launching 3 in the first half and making one. Teams value shooting. He shot 41% from 3 in EuroLeague last season.
Richards was wearing ice packs on his knees before going into the game. Then he came into the game and was finishing around the rim over the top. The defensive end is where Richards will need to grow if the Suns are going to have the bigs play high on pick-and-roll.
As for Gillespie, he made plays with the pass, knocked down the 3 and played pressure defense. He’d likely be one of the first guys off the bench even if Green is playing, and he plays with that competitive edge. Maybe he’s the “Villian Jr” Brooks talked about last week.
Don’t think he initially thought about going to the rolling sky hook when initially going across the lane off the dribble, but Booker went to it and scored with the right hand.
Booker has a bag, but playing with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal created an offense in which they had their areas to score.
Now Booker has the entire floor to operate. He’s had it before, but now Booker can also find open people off the bounce and in the pocket with the bounce pass.
People crave the scoring Booker, but the creative one can score, find people and manufacture plays.
That’s a very entertaining Booker to watch.
Maluach checked into the game late in the third and immediately picked up an offensive foul.
Then he got his shot blocked inside and later backed off defending a pick-and-roll and yielded an open made 3.
That's all part of being a rookie trying to figure it out. Ott sat Maluach down, but later put him back in the game. Soon after, Maluach finished with the two-handed dunk to give the Suns a 98-77 lead with three minutes left in the game.
The Lakers called a timeout. Maluach walked to the bench receiving high fives. Growth moment.
Rookie Rasheer Fleming saw his first minutes in the fourth. He was feeling his way early, but then got on the offensive boards, which is one of the things the Suns are asking him to do.
Then he was late on the rotation and gave up an open 3. Immediate Ott timeout.
Again, learning the NBA moves faster.
Koby Brea didn’t play, but he’ll see action at some point in the preseason.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism. Start your online subscription.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Takeaways from Suns rolling past Lakers in preseason opener
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No Jalen Green (hamstring) or Mark Williams for the Suns.
No LeBron James or Luka Doncic for the Lakers.
Still meaningful as a preseason game can be. The Suns will head to China next week for two preseason games against the Brooklyn Nets.
Here are five takeaways from Friday's game.
Offensive/defensive identity under first-year coach
Jordan Ott wants the Suns to play pressure defense, picking up the ball in the backcourt and ing being aggressive on the perimeter. Also have the big play high on pick-and-rolls.
They established that early.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves found himself having to fight off the ball pressure, but that also led to the Suns having to scramble on defense to help or “support,” as Ott likes to put it.
Offensively, Devin Booker said, the Suns want to make everyone a threat.
They showed that in multiple ways by having guys cut backdoor off dribble penetration, drive and kicks and looking to score in transition.
The pace wasn’t as fast as they talked about wanting it to be, but there were times they pushed it when numbers were there.
Starting lineup reaction, results
G: Devin Booker (24 points on 9-of-18 shooting, 6-of-8 FTs, 7 assists in 25 minutes). Booker was aggressive, looking to score, but found open shooters as he hit Dillon Brooks for an open made 3. He competed on defense in fighting around screens and took time to talk to teammates after plays, as he and Ryan Dunn had a quick chat after Dunn reacted to being called for a foul.
G: Grayson Allen (13 points, 3-of-6 from 3 in 22 minutes). He got the start for the injured Green. Hit 3s. That’s what he does, but Ott put him in playmaking situations. He turned the ball over, but then found Nick Richards later for a dunk. It can be hit or miss for him in that role, but this looks different if Green is in that role. Seeing Allen with four reserves may be how they use Green to have him be the No. 1 option and be aggressive to score.
F: Dillon Brooks (10 points, 3-of-4 from 3 in 25 minutes). Nothing has changed. He’s playing aggressive defense and shooting 3s. Had one trip when he got Bronny James in a postup, but Booker looked to score in transition. Brooks can fit with whoever is out there because he spaces the floor on offense and pressures the ball on defense. The Booker-Brooks interaction on the court shows they have connected on some level.
F: Ryan Dunn (4 points, 8 rebounds, 5 fouls in 22 minutes). This is tricky. He’s pressuring guards full court, but Dunn plays the four, which has him guarding in the post. Rui Hachimura scored on him in the paint twice as he backed Dunn down in the lane. Dunn made a cut off the ball that led to a layup off a Collin Gillespie assist, but then he drove across the lane and didn’t even look at the basket.
C: Oso Ighodaro (5 points, 9 rebounds, 5 fouls in 26 minutes). He’s an undersized big, but Deandre Ayton didn’t go at him as far as posting up. Ayton is more of a jump shooter, though. Ighodaro can be that hub on offense and have the offense run through him even though he’s not a scoring threat outside of the paint. He found Allen for a layup after Allen ran behind him and cut to the rim. That leads to asking, do the Suns run the same actions with Williams, rookie Khaman Maluach or Nick Richards?
First subs
Royce O’Neale, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Richards and Gillespie were the first subs of the bench for the Suns.
O’Neale is a 3-point shooter, but being a four puts him in a situation in which he has to get a body on the opposing center in the paint when the Suns big looks to play high on the pick-and-roll.
Nigel Hayes-Davis showed no hesitation taking the 3, launching 3 in the first half and making one. Teams value shooting. He shot 41% from 3 in EuroLeague last season.
Richards was wearing ice packs on his knees before going into the game. Then he came into the game and was finishing around the rim over the top. The defensive end is where Richards will need to grow if the Suns are going to have the bigs play high on pick-and-roll.
As for Gillespie, he made plays with the pass, knocked down the 3 and played pressure defense. He’d likely be one of the first guys off the bench even if Green is playing, and he plays with that competitive edge. Maybe he’s the “Villian Jr” Brooks talked about last week.
Creative Booker
Don’t think he initially thought about going to the rolling sky hook when initially going across the lane off the dribble, but Booker went to it and scored with the right hand.
Booker has a bag, but playing with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal created an offense in which they had their areas to score.
Now Booker has the entire floor to operate. He’s had it before, but now Booker can also find open people off the bounce and in the pocket with the bounce pass.
People crave the scoring Booker, but the creative one can score, find people and manufacture plays.
That’s a very entertaining Booker to watch.
Rookie action
Maluach checked into the game late in the third and immediately picked up an offensive foul.
Then he got his shot blocked inside and later backed off defending a pick-and-roll and yielded an open made 3.
That's all part of being a rookie trying to figure it out. Ott sat Maluach down, but later put him back in the game. Soon after, Maluach finished with the two-handed dunk to give the Suns a 98-77 lead with three minutes left in the game.
The Lakers called a timeout. Maluach walked to the bench receiving high fives. Growth moment.
Rookie Rasheer Fleming saw his first minutes in the fourth. He was feeling his way early, but then got on the offensive boards, which is one of the things the Suns are asking him to do.
Then he was late on the rotation and gave up an open 3. Immediate Ott timeout.
Again, learning the NBA moves faster.
Koby Brea didn’t play, but he’ll see action at some point in the preseason.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism. Start your online subscription.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Takeaways from Suns rolling past Lakers in preseason opener
Continue reading...
