Being able to field their “Big Three” – Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal – in multiple matches is not the only problem that exists in Phoenix. The Suns also have problems on defense, symbolized by a number and a trend. The number is defensive efficiency: 115.2 points conceded over 100 possessions. This is only 18th in the league, a very low ranking for a title candidate.
The trend is the players' cards against the Suns. We remember Victor Wembanyama's 38 points, Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic's 50 points, and Terry Rozier's 42 points. In the last game, lost to the Clippers, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard compiled 63 of Los Angeles' 131 points.
“We didn’t get out quick enough on the shooters in the first period”regrets Frank Vogel for The Athletic. “There were four players we wanted to avoid seeing at 3-point, but we didn't show the urgency necessary for that. »
Let each player do their job individually already
Bradley Beal is even harsher in the face of the success of the Clippers (55% shooting success, 53% at 3-pts). “They have four or five All-Stars so we have to make sure we're in from the start. That's crazy. This is simply unacceptable. We must do better. »
How to do ? The question arises for Grayson Allen, who does not forget that injuries undermine collective chemistry, which must also be built because the squad was deeply shaken during the last offseason.
“We are working on several defensive coverages, because we have a new group so we are still looking for our best face, our defensive identity,” explains the former Bucks. “A lot of that comes from individual pride, the idea of stopping your direct opponent one-on-one. Everyone in this field needs to step up a notch. »
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Kevin Durant | 28 | 37.1 | 52.5 | 47.7 | 87.4 | 0.4 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 29.9 |
| Devin Booker | 25 | 35.9 | 47.5 | 38.8 | 88.3 | 0.9 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 7.8 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 26.7 |
| Bradley Beal | 10 | 29.1 | 46.8 | 32.4 | 82.1 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 16.1 |
| Eric Gordon | 30 | 31.4 | 46.5 | 40.9 | 73.3 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 13.6 |
| Grayson Allen | 29 | 33.2 | 50.4 | 45.7 | 89.1 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 13.0 |
| Jusuf Nurkic | 32 | 27.9 | 48.7 | 26.4 | 72.6 | 2.8 | 7.5 | 10.3 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 12.7 |
| Chimezie Metu | 24 | 13.4 | 50.5 | 32.6 | 86.7 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 5.9 |
| Drew Eubanks | 30 | 16.2 | 59.3 | 100.0 | 78.0 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 5.8 |
| Josh Okogie | 28 | 19.8 | 39.3 | 25.9 | 75.0 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 5.7 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 31 | 17.0 | 36.9 | 29.5 | 85.2 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 5.7 |
| Nassir Little | 23 | 15.6 | 48.4 | 32.0 | 84.2 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 5.2 |
| Keita Bates Diop | 24 | 17.7 | 40.2 | 27.9 | 73.5 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 5.1 |
| Yuta Watanabe | 22 | 15.8 | 34.5 | 32.9 | 69.2 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 4.2 |
| Saben Lee | 7 | 8.2 | 44.4 | 0.0 | 90.9 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 3.7 |
| Udoka Azubuike | 9 | 8.2 | 76.5 | 0.0 | 28.6 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 3.1 |
| Bowl Bowl | 10 | 5.8 | 72.2 | 60.0 | 100.0 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 3.1 |
