Monty Williams: ‘I have to make our guys stronger’

He looked at his players haggardly, without saying anything. There were four minutes left before the break and Monty Williams had no choice but to take another time-out. Still roughly in contact with the Knicks five minutes earlier (31-20), his Suns had justcash in terrible one… 21-0 (52-20).

Beyond the sequence of New York baskets, without response from their opponents, it is the offensive level displayed by the Arizona players that questions: only 11 points in the first quarter, and 31 in the first period.

Monty Williams, however, assures after the meeting that his troops obtained open fire. But by shooting all evening with 39% success, it’s hard to do better than this modest total of 83 points scored – the worst offensive performance of their season – or as much as the Cavs of Donovan Mitchell… in their only second period against the Bulls.

Difficulties outside

A performance judged by the technician as being “ disconcerting, it happens too often with this team “. The Suns coach regrets that Julius Randle (10/12) and Jalen Brunson (only 6/11) both obtained more free throws than his entire team: only 7 poor free throws obtained (5/ 7). ” It’s hard to swallow, that’s all I say “Notes Monty Williams without risking slippage.

He adds: “ The only way to overcome the hard times is to go through it, that’s what I told the guys. It’s basketball. We’ve been there before, during our first year: we lost eight games in a row and we ended the season winning eight in a row. Mentally and emotionally I have to make our guys stronger. »

The coach does not want to put the current bad dynamic on the account of the difficulties of the calendar, with a “road trip” started at Christmas and which ends next Wednesday. But the Suns, who have just lost six of their last seven outings, travel very badly: only six wins in 19 games away from their bases.

No savior expected

The explanation? Deandre Ayton, his team’s leading scorer with only 12 points against the Knicks, is struggling to find any. ” I’m not used to there not being a fighting spirit in us. I’m used to us trailing by 100 points (sic), whether we come out and win the game, or whether we still have this mentality like we’re going to win this game. At the moment, we don’t have it. […] We can’t tell ourselves that someone is going to feel sorry for us or that someone is going to save us: no one is going to. », develop the pivot probably thinking of Devin Booker.

When the latter is absent, the Suns have a sad record of two wins for seven losses. Before the start of the health concerns of the back, the team was still in 3rd place in the West (16v-10d). She has since fallen to 9th place (20v-18d).

Deandre Ayton still evokes a concern to respond to the physical challenges proposed by the opposing teams. “ They’re trying to take advantage of us, so they strike first. But we can cash it and return it. […] We have to take shots and not let ourselves down when we don’t because in the end we have to defend on the other side of the field. This is what slows us down. We worry either about the score or about not getting a shot. It affects our efforts “Judge Ayton.

The interior awaits a reaction from his team in Cleveland on Wednesday. After this meeting, Phoenix will play twice at home (Heat and Cavs) before returning to a series of unobvious trips: Warriors, Nuggets, Wolves and Grizzlies…