Phoenix Suns’ Big 3 continuing to find balance as NBA trade deadline approaches

Phoenix Suns’ Big 3 continuing to find balance as NBA trade deadline approaches

Mars Arizona Sports the local sports leader Bley blast the Phoenix Suns have a magic number it’s 85 and from day one I believe that number represents the amount of points they need from their big three every game if they’re going to win that elusive Championship now they

Hit that number on the head last night in a win against the Bucks and best of all the the 85 points they produced last night was all about balance not fueled by one Transcendent performance and that folks is how this basketball team can win a championship that is how this

Basketball team can avoid some of the fourth quarter meltdowns that have been a recurring nightmare now granted the victory wasn’t what it might have been as the Bucks were missing two of their best players lost another starter in the first quarter but beating Giannis is never easy and always an accomplishment

So there’s that now the glaring holes in the program have not magically disappeared the lack of a point guard the occasional lack of edge urgency and energy and a Waf for thin bench there’s still legitimate concerns and the trade deadline might bring another new piece into the mix requiring even more

Assimilation and integration but the big three have been together now since December 29th and their availability and sustainability have has to be very promising and each game together has to bring them closer to what will be our final solution a championship that will be won or lost on a much different kind

Of triangle offense so 85 points as a benchmark um and like I said I think the best thing to me about it last night Vinnie was the balance as you said earlier it was Devin Booker and then it was KD then it was Bradley Beal and it’s

And that to me is what’s going to make this team kind of a to to take some of these last steps that I think they need to get there yeah but you brought up some things too that are that are still concerns and you know there’s not a magic Elixir that’s going

To happen by winning one game and and one of the things that’s been talked about especially with this looming trade deadline it’s getting louder and louder is this point guard issue um you know it’s probably not going to get fixed this was a path that the Suns went down

In the off season they had a point guard on their roster in the off season after all the movement and they traded Cameron pay away to San Antonio for basically nothing of of use yes he ended up getting bought out ended up in Milwaukee ironically made his return last night

And early in the game it really stood out the Suns had you know when they when they broke uh for halftime three assists team wide three assists we talked to Bobby Hurley uh earlier earlier this season ASU had a game where they had three assists in a game you can expect that in

College basketball not in the NBA in the year 2024 and with the way that Cameron Payne was able to generate some things you know he got some extended time because Damen Lillard didn’t play now was he great no but you know people are saying the Suns need that backup point guard he

Could have played that role I don’t think they’re going down that path between now and tomorrow at 1:00 I just don’t this is basically the team that they’re going to have from a point guard standpoint I am curious to see to to to bring up the term you mentioned in the

Blast too how much assimilation will be needed will they be able to make a deal and this miles Bridges thing is still looming out there and the reports at least lately are that the Hornets are Still Holding Out for a first round pick I’m not even the Suns don’t have one to

Deal I think it would be irresponsible right now for any team to give up a first round pick yeah so do I and I heard gamble say that that part of the deal from the BR miles Bridges camp in in the case of this particular player is

The desire to get him to a place where to a team that might want to sign him long term is there any team ready to commit that to miles Bridges just yet so I I I don’t know if they’re going to get what they’re looking for either do you

Know what I mean so it’s going to be interesting uh we’re going to talk to Bobby marks in a little bit and and Bobby has got the the The Insider view of this whole thing about you know trade exceptions and and different things that are available to the Suns that will not

Be available to them once the trade deadline passes on Thursday so so they’ve got some Avenues um and some things that they can exploit if they can find the right pieces and that really remains to be seen um in my opinion and and then again you’ve got to take a look

At this team as it is right now and and and if you look at B bow and the contributions he’s making and Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon what what more does this team need what what is what what really will make a difference you

Know I I do there are times when I look at this basketball team and the thing that worries me that that I don’t think you saw last night because the Bucks were not only handicapped but the Bucks are no longer a premier defensive team no the lack of a point guard really

Seems to be exploited when you’re playing really good defensive teams and and we we saw this with Chris Paul during the playoffs the amount of backcourt pressure applied to the point guard of the Phoenix Suns the last go around in the play I can only imagine what it’s going to be

This time around um with this situation so to your point on that it became a big talking point go back to the New Orleans series but late in games Chris Paul’s one of the most accomplished points point guards that’s ever laced up a pair of sneakers in this league and he got

Hit with that defensive strategy yep and the sun struggled with it yes yes and that was Chris Paul Elite fourth quarter point guard closer so yeah the the further you get into the postseason when these games have more weight and more gravity it’s going to get even worse

Yeah um and then the other issue is how do the Suns get to playing with the requisite Pace they need when when they don’t have this definition as a at primary ball handler it’s been an issue because that was the number one reason that a lot of people myself included

Were on board with with the Chris Paul trade is because uh for all the good stuff brings a basketball team for all the knowledge and the wisdom and experience and calmness and all that uh the pace of play was a real issue last year and so the Assumption was it wasn’t

Going to be an issue this year well it is and it has been and and maybe a lot of that stems from um guys trying to get comfortable with another with one another guys trying to be generous with with the basketball and and distributing it freely there could be a lot of

Reasons for it but but they do need to up the tempo at which they play with I think they did that I think there was a concerted effort to do that in the second half last night and I think you could see it and when when they play

Like that it’s like okay that looks closer to being a real formidable basketball team yeah I totally agree and a lot of it uh you know a lot of the pluses too that we’ve talked about this morning start on the defensive side of the ball it starts with Kevin Durant his

Willingness to take on Giannis and I thought it was interesting after the game Kevin Durant said look I didn’t look at this as some big one-on-one matchup at all it was about winning the basketball game I don’t know if you saw Giannis on social media after the game

It was a still shot of him going one-on-one against Deon Booker and said I love playing against the best so he obviously viewed it a different way and Kevin Durant who didn’t view it as a one-on-one matchup is the one that’s relishing the win right now yeah that’s

Interesting that’s interesting to me but but again I I think it’s it’s also what KD has done this year at his age is kind of reconfirmed to a lot of people I think inside the game that wow this is this is not normal for a 35-year-old big

To be playing at the level he’s playing m and it’s a tribute to Kevin Durant and I so I I I think that that’s why that’s why I still believe that that there was a belief coming into this year and and after the trade for Kevin Durant that

Kevin Durant’s going to be the guy that helps Devin Booker and Phoenix get to their first championship I I’ve I’ve flipped that thing on its ear I look at it now as we are the city that is perfect for Kevin Durant and Devin Booker is the perfect sidekick for Kevin

Durant and maybe it’s our purpose to get him that Redemption to get him that Championship that is not going to be oh well you had to go play with Steph Curry to get that and and and if that and if that does happen it’s going to have a

Dramatic effect on on the word that Katie claims to not care about Legacy yeah but I mean to branch that out League wide what Durant is doing what LeBron is doing four years further down the road and you know I I I’ll I’ll get my pokes in at LeBron but but we’ve

Never seen 39y olds do this before in the NBA Steph Curry hitting 60 he’s Kevin Durant’s age I mean something to be said for the old guys still doing it at a high level yeah no you’re right you’re right and it was there was a there was a feeling um maybe earlier

This year that this new generation sheay gilis Alexander dearon Fox these guys were kind of saying mine it’s our time yeah and and these guys you know probably saying not quite yet yeah it might be another year two down the road before the uh the Aaron foxes and sgas

And Anthony Edwards can make that claim like that this league is mine I and I know there’s always a tendency that you know you know a lot of people want to see that passing of the torch because of what we’ve talked about in football so much that fatigue Factor

If we’re sick of the Kansas City Chiefs at this point what’s the fatigue Factor like on LeBron James oh I’ve had it for years you know that I know you’re the exactly the same I’ve had it since about 08 the other the other interesting thing development um much to the Chagrin of

Some Suns fans is the fact that Grayson Allen is not going to be part of the All-Star games three-point shooting contest um but if if you read about it you’re going to find out that Grayson Allen already has vacation plans with his wife so I don’t think Grayson Allen

Really wanted to go anyways yeah and I think I don’t know if the NBA would ever admit this I think they want to rely on the players that are actually headed to the destination city to participate in the All-Star Game to fill in those spots now they can’t un in the dunk contest

They can’t do it in the dunk contest oh I guess Jaylen Brown’s going to do it which is cool uh but with a Three-Point Contest It’s usually the guys that are on all-star rosters because it’s a little less taxing I don’t look I I don’t blame him yeah Grayson Allen has

Had a f fantastic first half of the Season he’s he’s earned a little bit of time off right I I totally agree with that and and it didn’t sound like it was something that interested him anyway so it’s all good no thanks for watching Bickley and marada click to see the latest Bickley

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