Once you peel again a layer of the Phoenix Suns, it has not been a nice sight for what has been revealed. A reveal introduced on by stretches with out Kevin Durant continued in Sunday’s 115-110 loss to the Orlando Magic.
This is barely the second sport since Paolo Banchero was drafted when each he and Franz Wagner didn’t play for Orlando, with each struggling torn proper obliques, and that was in Banchero’s rookie yr two seasons in the past. Orlando builds its rosters round size and flexibility defensively, avoiding a prioritization of scoring and capturing.
Across the 20 video games Banchero missed coming into Sunday, the one gamers in double figures with Wagner had been Jalen Suggs (15.2 PPG) and Mo Wagner (13.3 PPG). Suggs is a defensive-minded guard and Wagner is a reserve 5, in order that’s not quite a lot of particular person pop to fret about.
If the Suns (12-11) made Orlando (17-9) uncomfortable with their defensive disposition, the Magic wouldn’t have the ability to piece something collectively offensively. But in what has been a theme the final two years, the Suns are hardly ever the aggressors. Teams with a bodily id have essentially the most success in opposition to them, and that’s much more of a hurdle when Phoenix is with out Durant, Jusuf Nurkic (proper thigh contusion) and Ryan Dunn (left ankle soreness)
Phoenix performed strong offensively within the first half however wasn’t capable of create a lot separation due to an environment friendly two quarters for Orlando. It entered the third quarter -58 over its final 5.
In an ideal begin to correcting this, the Suns started the interval on an 8-2 run to go up 11. Orlando regarded flat and it was a chief alternative for Phoenix to place an inferior opponent away early, once more, to not permit confidence to construct.
Instead, the Suns relaxed, and never solely did they let Orlando again in it but it surely was a 16-4 Magic spurt in beneath three minutes that gave up that lead. Orlando’s double-big lineup started consuming on the glass and the Suns didn’t do sufficient work to stop these bigs from getting across the basket.
The Suns had been solely -2 within the third quarter, an enchancment, however a sequence of 4 turnovers in 5 possessions throughout the early fourth quarter instructed the fuse will need to have simply been delayed. One of those turnovers was on an inbounds play when Bradley Beal couldn’t get open and Phoenix had no consciousness, effort or plan to search out another. No one was shifting. The Suns undoubtedly play exhausting however the gaps that happen over these efforts, particularly mentally, are staggering.
Phoenix spiraled lengthy sufficient for the Magic to as soon as once more consider they had been going to win, shortcomings be damned. When are we going to see that perception from the Suns?
Look on the field rating from this sport and inform me which group has a decisive edge in playmaking means and scoring means. And guess which group regarded much better than the opposite in crunch time that got here right down to these expertise?
Suggs scored or assisted all 16 of the Magic’s factors throughout a 4:10 stretch that went from Phoenix up two with 6:52 left to down 5 with 1:41 left. You resolve if it’s extra unacceptable that the Suns let him do this or that their pair of stars bought outplayed by him when the sport was on the road.
Phoenix is now three for 3 in getting high quality contributions from its supporting forged in a shorthanded state and has now misplaced all three contests. Tyus Jones had 16 of his 21 factors within the first half, Royce O’Neale added 16.
While Devin Booker and Beal had been each higher the day after a pair of duds in Miami, they weren’t practically adequate within the ultimate body. Booker shot 8-of-21 and 2-of-7 within the fourth quarter. Beal fouled out with 1:05 remaining after going 8-of-12 for 18 factors with two assists and 5 turnovers.
This group simply isn’t that good whether it is certainly this reliant on Durant. It ought to look no additional than its opposition on Sunday as proof. And Durant’s return will set the desk for what’s unexpectedly an important couple of weeks, when it comes to evaluating what the Suns are. It was round this level final yr when it was a transparent, “What on this planet is occurring with these guys?” second that didn’t cease. The alarm bells had been ringing.
They aren’t as loud proper now. But should you pay attention carefully sufficient, they’re there.
