Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, on the right, yells at his bank teammates during the second half of the Suns NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Tuesday, December 29, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo / Rick Scuteri)
PHOENIX – When a team has high expectations, it is good to have a glimpse of what it could be at the beginning of the season.
The Phoenix Suns gave their fans a preview of their potential on Tuesday, beating the New Orleans Pelicans on national television 111-86.
In the second quarter, Phoenix played its full 12 minutes in some time. It all started at the defensive end, where Suns was halfway through to open the game. The energy was there, but the engagement was a little disconnected.
When coach Monty Williams employed a form of defense by zone, it seemed to fit everything together. The defense prepared the attack, where the ball was flowing beautifully through the 0.5 principles that Williams preaches.
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– Matt Petersen (@TheMattPetersen) December 30, 2020
“Once we started playing with that kind of strength in defense that allowed us to play at 0.5, where we didn’t have to call a ton of moves because we were having stops,” said Williams. “I think it’s a fun way to play, but it’s also something that we can’t take for granted.”
Devin Booker and Chris Paul had two combined field goal attempts in the first half, planned for the Pelicans. It didn’t matter, and the Suns led by 22. They rolled from there to lead at a point in the second half by up to 40.
Phoenix was the gang recovering most of the night, which teams have to do against the attacking pitch of the Pelicans of Steven Adams and Zion Williamson. This united and constant energy fed the team.
“There was a concerted effort to do what we could to try to keep those guys out of the glass,” said Williams. “Steven – it’s like moving a parked car, getting it out of paint.”
Williams said they have emphasized “fight and stay” from perimeter players, making sure they hit when they can, instead of leaking. Mikal Bridges had seven rebounds and Booker grabbed six more. The Suns had five more on the offensive glass, with Deandre Ayton snatching five of his own.
“It was a painting game tonight,” said Ayton. “Battle of the ink, do your job early, communicate, be physical, don’t let them bring the game to you. Just being physically disconnected (the) tear, being the aggressor. “
The Suns tried 17 free throws in the first half, after averaging so many free throws per game in three games.
If Phoenix (3-1) reaches the level it reached defensively while the supplementary pieces reach 3s, it will be a very difficult team to win. Yes, that goes without Paul and Booker building maximum cohesion, because they are already creating a lot for teammates outside the defensive attention they guarantee.
Stan Van Gundy, of New Orleans (2-2), had a clear game plan to get the ball out of Paul and Booker’s hands. The Suns responded by shooting 19 out of 47 (40.4%) in the three-point range, while drawing fouls and making good passes in aggressive closings. This was, again, a credit for the defense to establish a base to build the attack.
“We were shooting with our defense,” said Bridges. “It helped us to go, especially in the first half, we took the second half, we did a race. Once we start to stop and play in transition, we are a difficult team to stop. “
Jae Crowder had the best score of 21 points, Cam Johnson added 18 and went 13 for Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Cam Payne. He posted those 13 points with two rebounds and seven assists. For the third time in four games, the Suns bench reached the 40-point mark.
Paul was undoubtedly the best player in the Suns, despite making only four attempts. He was in conductor mode at both ends, keeping the pace where he should be in the attack while making the communication that you would expect defensively. Paul produced nine points and nine assists in 23 minutes.
Payne is the guy who has an objection. Somehow, he performed even better than in the bubble, playing a totally offensive and defensive game while conducting the attack. It is far beyond a sequence of shots – he is becoming a legitimate NBA point guard.
This pair of guards over four games now has 60 assists and 10 turnovers, the best part of the team’s attack a week in the season. Payne has been so good that there is no need to upset Paul and Booker now, a proposal that I personally would find incomprehensible at any point with an entirely healthy list.
Ayton had a bad first shift, which included an elusive gaffe to stop on a roll when there was no one between him and the basket. He responded very well after that, playing his best basketball in four games, being the number one piece of the puzzle in the Suns’ tremendous defense for the intermediate quarters.
In addition, the Suns did not do much to make him touch the pole, and instead he plundered in hoop runs across endless ball screens. Ayton has become active in the offensive glass, and when he has done so in the past two seasons, he has become a monster. That is the formula for Ayton to be an All-Star. Not three points. Do not post movements or bring the ball up.
“I thought Deandre did a very good job after the first five minutes of the game. He just dived and was a huge presence in the painting, ”said Williams.
While Williams was speaking after the game, Langston Galloway and Jevon Carter were being shot in the main court, while Frank Kaminsky was running for conditioning work. Crowder said there was also a weightlifting session behind the scenes, involving almost everyone who was not seen on the court.
This will happen after the games, for sure, but it was exactly the visual representation of the show that Williams created that we heard so many good things about. And all of that was on the new Suns court after a victory with the new shirts that was so bursting that TNT switched to another game at the end of the fourth period.
It is difficult to see all this and not feel that we are in a new era of Suns basketball.