Official Game Thread: Suns at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“…and you can tell Coach Quin I SAID IT! I promise you, I don't even care. On my mama!! Sincerely, Dejounte Murray”

 

It has been an up-and-down season for the Phoenix Suns. But the good news for the star-heavy club is that the trajectory is decidedly up, right on time for a surge to crash the Top-4 party in the NBA West.

Devin Booker is the reigning Player of the Week and Player of the Month, averaging 30.0 PPG while shooting 53.9 percent from the field. While Phoenix has split their past four games entering tonight’s affair with the Hawks in Atlanta (7:30 PM Eastern, CW/Peachtree TV and 92.9 FM in ATL, and if you think that’s tough, try AZ Family/3TV in PHX), the Suns did finish out the month of January at 11-5. They are 14-5 since getting their chestnuts roasted on an open fire by Luka on Christmas Day (hey, we’ve all been there) to fall to 14-15.

Thing is, this seven-game road trip of theirs is quite the undulation, too. Starting with the payback win over the Mavs in Dallas on January 24 (the game that had Luka fuming right on time to take his frustrations out in Atlanta), the Suns set their itinerary north, running on empty late in a drag race at Haliburton-less Indiana. Then, it was off to Florida. Coach Frank Vogel conserved Jusuf Nurkic’s energy, sitting the starting center’s sprained thumb in a loss at Orlando, in time to stifle the heat the next night, this past Monday in Miami.

The team flew over Atlanta, yet again, to head all the way up to Kevin Durant’s old Brooklyn stomping grounds. Durant fended off unwanted attention circulating around his return on Wednesday to Barclays Center. The Suns relied on balanced passing and scoring efforts, plus paint dominance by Nurkic, to secure the 136-120 win over a Nets team (1.0 GB 10-seed ATL) that is somehow already back to missing Ben Simmons.

The Nets flew over D.C. to get down to Atlanta for tonight’s contest, but they’ll find their way back in the nation’s capital, in Bradley Beal’s old stomping grounds, for a Sunday afternoon matinee with the Wizards. Beal (last 4 games: 36.4 FG%, 18.2 3FG%, 66,7 FT%), who missed 24 of Phoenix’s first 30 games, has labored his way through a nasal fracture and expressed discomfort playing with a protective mask.

Ahead of the Nets game, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps noted that despite Beal’s extended early-season absence, Phoenix’s touted Big 3, of D-Book/KD/Brad, has already managed to play more games as an active tandem, this season, than the Nets’ would-be superteam of Harden/KD/Kyrie (16 games), first forged in January 2021 and concluded 13 months later (just 2 seasons ago, BRK’s top 3-Man lineup combo was Durant, Harden, and Patty Mills).

In the long run, Durant should be thrilled with the prospect of his co-stars playing together, and Phoenix revving up in the race for a decent playoff seed. For now, the relatively short travel turnaround means Vogel won’t be crazy about his Suns getting caught up in an up-and-down with coach Quin Snyder’s Hawks tonight. Whichever squad jumps out early, or builds a sizable lead midway, will be pressed to avoid subsiding late in the second half. And that’s where some good backups will come in handy.

While 3-and-Tries-to-D Grayson Allen (sprained ankle on Monday, DNP Wednesday) slowly returns to action tonight, Vogel will rely heavily on Snellville’s Finest, Josh Okogie, to be a defensive sponge, although Okogie may have also found a bit of an offensive groove, too, with his recent open looks (8-for-11 FGs and 3-for-5 on threes in past 2 games, raising his shooting on the season to 40.9 FG% and 26.3 3FG%).

Excepting Denver, the league’s best teams have good-at-worst benches. The collection that James Jones assembled to fill out Phoenix’s luxury-tax-loaded roster struggles to create offense, for themselves individually or for anyone else (1.51 bench assist/TO ratio, 29^th in NBA; 28^th in bench scoring per-48, last in assists per-48). Particularly with Eric Gordon relied upon on occasion to start, the Suns can only rise into the West’s top tier if they can find some semblance of chemistry among their reserves.

Jones’ Suns are fairly hamstrung during the approach to the Trade Deadline, but a deflating loss or two might unsettle him into pulling the trigger on a minor deal in search of more solid bench support, or a starter that keeps Gordon in his customary sixth-man role. As demonstrated by LeBron’s recent cryptic late-night tweet, Atlanta historically reaches its highest NBA form whenever they take the shape of chaos agents (no burner phones necessary). As Dejounte Murray is aware, there’s a reason Scary Terry suddenly found himself in Miami.

All-Star Adjacent Trae Young (6-for-9 3FGs, 13 assists vs. LAL) and Murray (11-for-15 2FGs vs. LAL) will help the Hawks keep pace with Phoenix’s top-line scoring threats. And as Clint Capela vies to keep Nurkic off the offensive glass, Jalen Johnson (10 D-Rebs and 3 steals vs. LAL) can provide the defensive spark needed to sustain possessions and keep the Suns’ starters from getting too hot to handle.

Atlanta can play from in front, for most of this evening, if they get the bench boost that Bogi Bogdanovic (45.7 3FG% in past four games) and Onyeka Okongwu (11 points on perfect shooting, 2 steals and a block in 25 minutes vs. LAL) provided to help the Hawks stiff-arm Los Angeles.

Once De’Andre Hunter (questionable, knee injury management; 2-for-5 3FGs vs. LAL) gets back up to reasonable speed, he could alleviate the pressure Saddiq Bey has placed on himself as the fifth wheel in Atlanta’s starting lineup. A dash of mid-game veteran plays from Patty Mills and/or either of the Mat(t)hewses may make a difference in overwhelming the Suns tonight.

The Hawks have another chance to trip up a trip-weary West Coast team during this extended homestand at State Farm Arena, and maybe one more tomorrow as well. The key to victory against these up-and-down moving Suns is figuring out how best to zig before Phoenix can zag.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[macdaddy]

15 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

All-Star Adjacent Trae Young

[Spud2nique]

23 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

getting their chestnuts roasted on an open fire by Luka on Christmas Day

{insert infamous Deez} ‍

 

23 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

hey, we’ve all been there)

 ‍

23 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

top 3-Man lineup combo was Durant, Harden, and Patty Mills).

he plays well play him, otherwise why acquire him in the first place Quin?

 

23 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Snell

Somebody sign the man please

 

23 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Jalen Johnson (10 D-Rebs and 3 steals vs. LAL)

Swiss Army knife 

 

23 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

fifth wheel

I’ve been a turd never a fit.

 

23 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Mat(t)hewses

 Maaa maaaa @lethalweapon3 hittin a brother up early with tongue twisters I felt like the singers in “we are the world “ warming up their mouths Matthewses did it im limber AF! Leggooooooo!  
 

 

Thanks lw3! You da maaaaan!

 

Go Hawks!!!

 

Edited February 2 by Spud2nique

[lethalweapon3]

Aside from former Hawk Damion Lee, who has been recovering from surgery after a preseason meniscus tear, the Suns are in fairly good shape. Brad Beal is listed as Available on the early morning Boo-Boo Report while Bol Bol (inactive since January 11, sprained foot) is Probable.

Unlikely to play both today and tomorrow vs. GSW, De'Andre Hunter is Questionable. But all the other non-rookies and non-G-Leaguers are Available for Quin Snyder's deployment today.

It's not quite Hawks-at-Spurs, but Victory tonight for the Hawks would make it ten straight Ls for the Suns at State Farm Arena. Phoenix's last win in ATL came in March 2014, back when Channing Frye had Handles and when Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Markieff Morris still wanted to be there.

Without Booker or Durant last February, the Suns were led by default in their 116-107 loss by Josh Okogie's 25 points and 3 steals off the bench. The Hawks built up the lead to 20 near the end of the third quarter, then Trae and Dejounte scored or assisted on every Hawks basket thereafter to keep the Suns set.

Ten more dimes tonight by Trae would make it his 200th game reaching that mark. Hawks Game Notes has him in 5th-place all-time for NBA'ers aged 25 or younger, right behind Suns legend Kevin Johnson's 207.

~lw3

[macdaddy]

The pessimist in me says that Suns have too many guys that we can't guard one on one, and we aren't going to out score them.  This could be ugly. 

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[kg01]

1 hour ago, macdaddy said:

The pessimist in me says that Suns have too many guys that we can't guard one on one, and we aren't going to out score them.  This could be ugly. 

I'm hoping we junk the game up.

Meth-Bogi at the 5?  Why?  I say, 'why not'?

Let Clint take any technical free throws?  Sign me up.

AJ in the rotation?

"Aw heyul nawl!" - Kwin 

[macdaddy]

1 minute ago, kg01 said:

I'm hoping we junk the game up.

Meth-Bogi at the 5?  Why?  I say, 'why not'?

Let Clint take any technical free throws?  Sign me up.

AJ in the rotation?

"Aw heyul nawl!" - Kwin 

Honestly someone should be assigned to rough up KD.  He so easily takes bait.  Now he also may rain threes down on us but let's at least make him feel it. 

[kg01]

3 minutes ago, macdaddy said:

Honestly someone should be assigned to rough up KD.  He so easily takes bait.  Now he also may rain threes down on us but let's at least make him feel it. 

Found it!  Found Lloyd Pierce's burner account.

Seriously though, I say we target Beal.  He's as brittle as wet tissue anyway.  One mild foul and he may be out for 4-6 weeks. 

[JayBirdHawk]

1 minute ago, kg01 said:

Found it!  Found Lloyd Pierce's burner account.

Seriously though, I say we target Beal.  He's as brittle as wet tissue anyway.  One mild foul and he may be out for 4-6 weeks. 

Uuuummmm....we've got our own soggy tissue. 

[kg01]

3 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Uuuummmm....we've got our own soggy tissue. 

That was true in the pre-avatar days.  Now that the avatar is in place, Hunter is tissue no more. 

[Spud2nique]

3 hours ago, macdaddy said:

The pessimist in me says that Suns have too many guys that we can't guard one on one, and we aren't going to out score them.  This could be ugly. 

Feed you pessi monkey a banana  

[macdaddy]

38 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

Feed you pessi monkey a banana  

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[lethalweapon3]

Quote

 

Phoenix’s process with this trade deadline will not only boil down to adding a rotation piece for this run. It will also focus first on players who either are under contract beyond this season or the Suns have a realistic chance at retaining in free agency.

What are the odds that happens? Low. Here’s why, while also exploring why it would be shocking if Phoenix did nothing at all.

 

It Was Written... about Nassir Little.

Quote

 

The main player to discuss is Nassir Little. His value won’t be in a good spot, as Little has dealt with some nagging injuries yet again and isn’t currently in the rotation on a team begging for someone to earn minutes in his ideal role.

With that said, he’s in the first season of a four-year, $28 million deal, a very affordable (and tradable) one that will only see those attributes increase over time as contracts get bigger. He’s 23 years old and has his fair share of fans around the league. It was not an unpopular opinion to suggest he was the best piece of the Ayton return.

That, however, has not come to fruition. And the unanswerable question of if he can yield something back with picks attached is what will dictate the Suns’ deadline activity.

 

~lw3

[cam1218]

I would rather see Dre’ out there tonight, feels like his limited minutes would be more useful in this game.

[HawksNWaffles]

 

 

 

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]