This Is Why NBA People Think Suns Can Beat Nuggets | PHNX Suns Live Show

This Is Why NBA People Think Suns Can Beat Nuggets | PHNX Suns Live Show

Welcome man it’s the PHX son show I’m as that’s Saul and that is flex we got plenty coming up for you today on the program we’re going to talk are the Suns nuggets Killers we’re also going to take a look at the scoreboard and talk some

History but what we’re going to get into first is Devin Booker being on with JJ reic guys how are you today how you doing good I’m good good oh like sun shining got the shades on so damn bright feels good those are the lights Flex that’s not the sun sorry uh we’re gonna

Get into JJ reck and Devon Booker Booker here I I was very impressed by that interview rarely if ever do we get to see Devin Booker in that kind of environment that comfortable talking for a full hour I felt like like this was one of the few occasions that the fans

Got to see the Devin Booker that some of us that have been around him uh saw you know on a regular basis that was true Devin Booker there yeah are you go ahead yeah no no no no if you haven’t seen this take the time to see it uh hour and

Six minutes something like that yeah this is uh this was incredible by JJ reick I think he got book in his El I mean they were in his house chilling in in his space um I think the questions were fantastic I think the the path in which

He laid it out was really good how he kind of strung the whole thing along and and went all the way back from the rookie year to now so a lot of very interesting things and it was very real love love what I saw I mean I don’t know

B Devon Booker so I have no idea what he’s like um I’ve only been able to to engage with him on a handful of occasions and you know they’re it’s pretty short and sweet so uh to hear a little bit more of this uh was was pretty enlightening I think Devon Booker

The one thing I can say is every time I’ve ever engaged with keevin Devon Booker his demeanor or really his tone and his energy is about the same way it was in this podcast so he’s just you know sometimes you just you look at a guy and you’re like just too cool man

Yeah too cool for school I I think that’s just he’s so locked in and they get into that in this and one of the biggest storylines of Devon Booker’s career is how much others dislike him right we hear that a lot it’s oh the national Media or this fan base or this

Particular player well Devin Booker Point Blank addressed that talking with JJ reic well we’re getting our ass kicked early you nobody cares about you when you know you score 30 and lose like nobody hated me then or disliked me then like that that comes when you start winning games

Like I guess when you’re some sort of a threat you know I would word it as but you know it’s in music it’s in every industry I just feel like early on you know when you’re out the way and just doing your thing people are are cool

With it but you know when you turn into a threat I start I feel like that’s you start hearing about yourself I I love a guy that realizes that he is a threat and the rest of the stuff is just noise and that’s obviously how he felt there I

Stand by that moment that people realized he was a threat was that 70p point game and that they hated the way he got there and that’s where where it all started but it obviously doesn’t bother book that that’s the way he’s viewed um you know I mean that’s an

Interesting perspective I I’ve never really viewed that 70-point game as that but um I do agree that nobody gives a [ __ ] about you until you’re a threat and that is absolutely the truth like you are you insignificant until you prove otherwise and once he got to that point

Where he was making the playoffs and that first playoff he goes all the way to the finals uh he became a a significant threat and I think a lot of people you know like this the Nuggets had their like don’t we don’t skip steps [ __ ] and all this other stuff well I

Think that a lot of them perceive Devon Booker as skipping steps because he got Chris Paul and they went all the way to the finals that first time he ever got to the playoffs and I would say no absolutely not because of all the [ __ ]

He had to go through just to get to that point yeah you know what I mean and that Bubble Run and and the [ __ ] behind that was just man it’s pretty significant that he says that because it is the truth and we see it every day you know

People that are insignificant all of a sudden they get a little love or they get a little attraction and people just hate they hate on it yeah because they’re haters man this was probably my favorite clip I’m glad you pulled that because you know where I’m from that’s

Called dropping Jewels right you you got a OG to drop some jewels on you hate makes you great I was told that a long time ago it if you if people are hating on you that means you’re doing something really good right when you when when everybody’s loving on you and

Giving you praise and and no one’s hating on you uh you’re doing all right you’re doing all right but you’re not you’re not at the level where you’re causing people to feel worried about what you’re doing or or threat and I love that he took a step forward and

Said you know this is more than just basketball it’s life in general it’s it’s in music it’s in other art forms uh when people start taking shots at you and they start talking about you and they start gaining traction you’re doing something right man and so you want a

Healthy balance between the two and I he nailed it man he nailed it like there was a time at the beginning where book was like the the nice baby face and it was like yeah this guy’s really good and and you had players commenting about him I like

Devon Booker I like this I like that but then when you get to the point where you got players and you got um National media and people really digging in with the Devon Booker narrative it just makes you realize how far he’s come like you that’s it just I love this clip because

I thought it was real and I think it applies to all walks of life beyond just basketball yeah I mean I one of the things said to me early in my career was love and hate pays the same there we go and I mean it’s the truth whether they

Love you they hate you if they’re talking about you that’s that’s the key right in this business in entertainment in general and and I think that’s something that Devin seems it seems to understand and my point about the 70o game and how that’s the Genesis of it is

Think about it uh they didn’t Earl Watson didn’t do him any favors in the way that he got to 70 he does it in Boston which is Hallowed Ground for everybody he was the first guy to do that since Kobe and he was this and they

Lose and he’s this you know kind of babyfaced kid that nobody really knows and I think a lot of it started from there because it was like he’s it was that was where the lutter and aiot comment came out of and he’s he’s a you know a stat filler he doesn’t you know

He doesn’t really put forth effort it’s it’s just bad bad team easy points yeah I get you um you know I wasn’t living in Phoenix at the time and I wasn’t ingrained in Sun’s Twitter at the moment um that this all happened yeah and so my perspective is different because I just

Felt like nobody outside of Phoenix was really talking about it like I know like he dropped 70 in the garden and all that but like if you were around Spurs fans like I were like nobody give a [ __ ] about that like nobody cared like it was

Just it was just another feat right but I didn’t feel like everybody hated him outside of that but that’s my perspective like obviously you guys um you had a different perspective obviously being involved in that as well so uh and then my other thing going back

To that too in terms of like the hater right like if you’ve ever played pickup ball I was just about to go and uh you know for me like people would look at me and they didn’t really think like much of me because I I wasn’t like a

Physically imposing kind of guy I didn’t look like ripped and I didn’t look like I could jump out the gym so like nobody really thought too much of me until we got on the court and then you start dropping a couple buckets and and then all of a sudden like you start hearing

Them chirp you start hearing them talk trash because they didn’t think they had to worry about you at first and now they got to dedicate all their time to you because you’re the only one killing them and so like that’s that’s exactly what it is for book he just is that dude that

Nobody really paid attention to too much yeah which is unfortunate because he was he’s been good for a long time but when he became a threat and the team became good that’s when everybody started to to really pay attention to what he was really doing here in the desert and it

Props to him man he deserves Every Little Bit of Love he gets I just wanted to piggyback on that real quick think about all of your experiences as a basketball fan growing up you got your favorite team and then you got other players around the league I can honestly

Tell you that every goat I hate it I I that’s just I I I it has to go to me it goes hand in hand like there was a time where I hated Michael Jordan yeah hate scrubs I say it again like you don’t

Hate scrubs I hate to put it to that not true I hate John Paxton and he was a scrub L sham okay y’all y’all yeah y y’all taking it to a whole LEL but no like like listen there was a time there was a time I hated Mike yeah there was a

Time my son’s first I mean some of the first things he can put together that I taught him was Kobe’s a bum like I would say say it and he finally started saying Kobe’s a bum he’s running around the house in diapers or whatever the H you

Know but that’s how much I hated Kobe I’m like bro say you know so Kobe Mike magic uh Isaiah at one time which I loved his game but he would he would beat a lot of my teams and so yeah I just feel like when you get to that

Level of greatness hatte is part of it and then later on you appreciate it like all those guys I mentioned are now guys that I I appreciate yeah I think after after they leave and they’re not the guy going against your team you can look back and

Like I despised Michael Jordan after 93 right right but but when you go back after he’s not on the court not taking on your team you watch and you go yeah I’m of course this was poetry in motion and you know even Kobe to an extent just

The on court you look at it and you go yeah I get it I get the mentality I get what he did those kind of things Saul you brought up Devin Booker kind of making it through those losing seasons and and coming out the other end JJ and

Devin talked about that as well straight from Kentucky like we lost one game the whole season to getting our head beat in every night that’s not easy bro losing every night and that’s tough to do like you have to find like we talk about motivation like you’re going into games kind of knowing

The situation knowing we’re in the rebuild but we’re going to have to play our best game ever to to win tonight and I was down for that every night and I was pissed off every time we lost I mean that encapsulates Devin Booker right there I didn’t I didn’t

Care I knew what our what our talent on this roster was I was still pissed off when I lost and I went into every game thinking we were gonna have an upset there you know yeah you know what’s so funny is he talked about basketball IQ I

Think a little bit before that or JJ reck asked him about basketball IQ and I feel like when you’re talking about basketball IQ and the lowest of lowest in the NBA circles was when Devin Booker got to the Suns and that team was just not very good like especially in 2018

Man that that team was just terrible um there was a lot of basketball players out there that didn’t really know what the [ __ ] was going on they just didn’t they straight up just didn’t they weren’t good basketball players and they couldn’t execute at a high level and if

You’re a guy like Devon Booker who pays attention to all the little details and you’re watching the same dudes make the same mistakes over and over and over again and you still have to keep it within yourself to push and try to strive to get wins

And get Buckets and do your very best man that is hard that is a very hard feat to accomplish and he did it and I give him all the props in the world for doing such a thing because man there were some dumb Dums on those teams that

Did not deserve to wear a son’s uniform yet alone be in the NBA um and most of them are not in the NBA anymore so yeah no you you nailed it man it’s it’s incredibly hard and it’s funny that we talk about that he he mentioned motivation um and we talk about even

That now today with this iteration of this son’s basketball team like they’re so good it’s hard to stay motivated every night there was a clip in there where he talked about you know uh game 20 on a Wednesday in Portland like it’s it’s hard to get up for that game and in

Comparison to like a playoff game or a game like what’s gonna happen tomorrow right and so for him to be able to and remember he played his first NBA game at8 like he was eight he was a baby like he came to this place a new place these

Guys are just I don’t know what the hell they were doing and he had to for three four years just put his head down grind stay motivated stay on top of things and eventually got it to where it’s at right now and so um yeah man like people think

These NBA players they they in the league they on TV every night they get these big checks they got nice houses and everything is sweet no man this [ __ ] really affects them I think for some guys it it’s it’s oh it’s sweet I think for other guys that are extremely driven

And you see this in every Walk of Life it eats at them like they’re obsessed with it that they have to find a way to succeed otherwise it drives them crazy and I feel like that’s Devin Booker is okay I I understand the reality of this

And sure I’m getting paid well and this is all fun and well and good but I’m going to obsess about every little detail until it’s right and that’s what amazes me that he stayed here because the easy path would have been I’m done with this this ownership group doesn’t know what

The hell they’re doing I got no Talent on the court I want another city and instead he sat there and he went no I want to be part of turning this around and I think that’s what’s so impressive and they they didn’t just talk about the past they talked about the present and

How that’s helped turn things around and particular their Center Yousef nurkic just the IQ you know just having basketball conversations and being able to talk through certain situations is the most impressive to me um and you know he will come with his own gist on

Things he be like yo me and Dame used to get this all the time L you know let me try that out um you know so it’s just an ongoing conversation and a relationship that is developing um and I love being on the court with him he he’s going to

Get after it every time and he he takes matchups personally like we’ve seen that yeah he’s down he’s down he’s down to get aggressive and physical and you know that’s that’s all he want that kind of Nod to what they hadn’t had before I didn’t want to go I

Didn’t want to go there go there I mean I’m gonna I’m gonna be honest I I saw this clip and you your mind immediately goes there there was a part in that clip where he Giggles a little bit and he’s like man I just love being on the court

With him he gets after it all the time he takes matchups personally I mean yeah man call a spade to Spade baby I mean you know that’s that’s just I mean he’s keeping it real man and and and he said his basketball IQ is incredible um I think guys like

Devin Booker guys like Kevin Durant they just want to know that going to war with guys that are willing to get in a foxhole with them and take everything that comes with that that’s what they want more than anything you’re allowed to make mistakes you’re allowed to fail

Because they’re G to make mistakes too but damn it if you gonna make a mistake you gonna die trying and that’s that’s what I got from that uh just a guy that is willing to do whatever it takes to win a basketball game and there’s psychos Devin’s a psycho when it comes

To competitive nature in basketball so yeah uh that was that was pretty cool for nerd man is your heart into it is your heart into it that’s that’s that’s the only question you need to ask a play yeah is your heart into it can you see

That a guy is is doing everything they possibly can um on the court whether it’s successful or not is their heart in the right place are they are they motivated to compete and when you look at nerk I don’t feel like you could ever say that he’s not into it you know what

I mean like there’s never a doubt I I you can’t say that about every single son that’s played with Devon Booker especially at the center position especially last year like you just couldn’t like you saw homie didn’t have any heart in the playoffs he got elbowed

In the ribs once and he was like no I’m good like that’s just that’s zero heart that’s zero heart and I I’m glad Devon Booker understands that he he listen again I I’ve said this a million times on this pod if you see Devon Booker in practice you’ll understand yeah like how

Serious he takes this and how much he wants to rip everybody’s head off that goes against him he just does that’s that’s the way he’s built he’s a competitive guy and if you can’t stand that you can’t be around him you just can’t like you won’t you won’t stand the

Test of time the fact that DeAndre Aden did make it to Five Seasons here in the valley is kind of a miracle because you could see these things coming from time to time but the thing is is that da would give you those flashes that gave

You a little bit of pause like oh is it is he about to flip the switch is he about to turn the corner and it just never happened and that’s why he’s gone I I actually think it had what Devon was saying probably had more to do with the

Best center that he had played with here uh more than Aon what your formative years your early years in the league kind of set your expectation with some guys right tyon and Tyson Chandler set that expectation for what he wanted from a big man he was he was his guy who who

Had uh who was tied for the sun’s single game rebounding record Tyson Chandler he saw Tyson work coming and and this was at the end of Tyson’s you know feasibility in the league and he still busted his ass and went out there even even when this team wasn’t good and put

In the work every night and I think Devin expects that from a big and he’s seeing it again uh with with nurkic now so I think that’s part of why it feels so good for him now too because he’s like that’s that’s the standard this is

What like you’re saying this is what I expect from myself it’s nice to see it from another guy and nice that I can talk ball with him as famous you can’t talk ball with everybody tweet you know I think it’s very much like that uh not just nerkish that he talked about though

He talked about playing with Kevin Durant uh and I found this one really interesting too what is it like being around him every day I mean exactly what you just broke it down basically like you’re just dealing with a guy that you know really loves his craft and you know

For me to be a really big fan first you know I had a tweet from 2011 I said Kevin Durant’s my favorite player but LeBron’s the best I found it when I got drafted everybody you know they start retweeting it um but just always being a fan and then you know

Hearing those typ type of stories about how obsessed as he is with his work and you know how he gets after and how much of a Hoops junkie he is and then for all those stories to be living up and him surpassing those and you really find out

That he only cares about Hoops is like you know it’s it’s a match for me you guys ever see American Psycho no I I feel like both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are the Christian B character in that they’re just like they’re they’re nuts about basketball they’re driven to to the

Point where they’ll do basically anything yeah like you said they’re psychos when it comes to basketball and it feels like you listen to Devon talk and they’re just cut from the same cloth that way and they both approach it that way yeah there was a clip in there where

They talked about uh JJ reic talked about having a conversation with Eric Gordon and and he I mean this is 15 straight years of 25 plus a season I mean I don’t know if people understand how hard that is man and so you know there there are there are times where I

Think and I’m going to put myself on blast here there are times where I’ve taken Kevin for granted like and and because it’s so great you do that but damn man to watch that guy work and and and book having the privilege of being in the gym with this guy at this point

In his career man that’s incredible so you know he had his fat head on the wall man now he’s playing with him and and that just that just speaks volumes about one Kevin Durant and two about how Devin Booker uh downloads information from great players like you got to believe

That when it’s all said and done you’re gonna see some things from Kevin Durant that are in Devin Booker because of this time they spent together you always strikes me with Devin is like every time I hear him talk um actually every time I hear him speak it’s not very often off

Off outside of the game right but when he does whether it be press conference or something like this I always feel like he is very calculated at what he is saying yeah every word that comes out of his mouth is very it’s very uh to the point it’s very careful he doesn’t say

Anything that’s off thewall and he doesn’t say anything without intent I think when you’re talking about playing with a guy like Kevin Durant he means it that he’s he’s lived up if not past the hype of of what he thought he was going to be coming in and I don’t even know

Like I I don’t really have anybody in my life that I was just like man if I ever met this person in this industry like I would just be like oh my God you know I I don’t really have that person right you can say it was me okay um but like I

Don’t know what that would feel like to meet your hero or meet an idol or a mentor and then have them not only match what you think they’re going to be like but surpass yeah and that’s the that’s the really cool thing about this and the reason why

I think that it works is because they both really enjoy each other and you know they live up to each other’s expectations yeah Al McCoy was that guy for me had that went and worked with them and it was they say don’t meet your Idols but that that was one and I feel

Like that’s kind of the approach for Devin too like there was no oh crap this isn’t who I thought it was it was this is a guy that’s locked in like me and I had the right guy uh JJ and uh Devin talked a little bit about golf uh at the

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Circles about the Phoenix Suns and potentially being the team that could take down the Denver Nuggets uh and the first person uh under understands the Nuggets intimately who said this it was kyp on a podcast saying that the Suns could be their toughest matchup I can’t read Chairman’s mind but I think he’s

Talking about a team outside of Denver oh outside ofver the biggest thre here in the Western Conference um I would say a a a a a healthy a healthy Phoenix uh uh a healthy Min Minnesota uh commot has always been tough even last year you know that was that was

Potentially going to be there you know in that spot they at now um and I would say there’s a lot of young team like OKC is on the rise too man just like the first two team above us and then um and then a healthy Phoenix you know so like

I feel like them to be our biggest threat he says something when a guy that’s sitting on that team is saying he thinks a healthy Phoenix is probably the biggest threat he says a healthy Minnesota well Minnesota I highly doubt is going to be healthy uh in these

Playoffs so then he’s really saying Phoenix uh and OKC and that’s that’s speaking a lot two teams ahead of you and then one team that’s sitting in six there first thing spoken like a man that got Rings because if you ain’t got a ring you’re not doing that you’re not even answering

That question no you’re not nobody’s better I’m not scared of anybody right so he got the ring so he’s comfortable saying that and and funny talking about the Devon book interview go back and watch it JJ tried to get Devon to do that JJ tried to say hey man give me a

Team in the west or whatever that on string on defense they can get you a problem and book said man I ain’t doing that I ain’t doing that I I ain’t giving you no smoke like they you I ain’t giving nobody motivation so that’s funny that two different uh two different

Realms here you know but I I agree with him I’ve been saying it from beginning man a healthy Phoenix Suns team uh in the playoffs playing for the main 16am uh they’re dangerous man they’re dangerous and we you know Casey p and boy just saw it the other day in Denver

Short-handed so yeah I agree man I agree with everything he said I just I just think that having a ring allowed him to say it I agree listen we’ve we’ve talked all season about like yeah Phoenix would be a problem if they could stay healthy it’s always if they could stay healthy

That’s always the biggest caveat and we’ve seen that this year when they’ve not been healthy it’s been you know it’s kind of Hit or Miss but when they’re healthy they play pretty good and they win most games so it doesn’t surprised me that kcp would say that especially on

The heels of last week losing despite the fact that they didn’t have Devon Booker in that game you know I think that’s that’s a significant W against a team that didn’t have anybody that was out in Denver so you had Deon Booker to mix a guy who shot damn near [ __ ] 75%

Against you in the playoffs yeah that’s going to be a problem and I think they can see that firsthand and I think they match up with them decently uh and like I said n nurkic isn’t the type of dude that’s gonna stop joic but can he cause

A little bit of resistance and last game you can’t say that he didn’t he he gave him some resistance he got physical with him and uh you know joic had to figure it out uh through the game so I I it doesn’t surprise me but we’ve heard that

All season we have heard that all season we’ve heard that from a lot of other people like Phoenix if Phoenix if Phoenix if you know and I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer but you know talk is cheap I want to see it in the

Playoffs and I want to see this team compete at a high level um and I still don’t think we’ve even scratched the servers of how good this team can be well it wasn’t just kcp the national media has been kind of down on this team but Kevin o’conor and Chris Vernon part

Of the ringer network uh seem like they’re changing their tune when it comes the Phoenix Suns they will just put up 120 they will outscore you 15 to5 in overtime like they did with their win against the Nuggets after the All-Star break that they can just get so hot that

They’re the team that there’s no answers for their offense that doesn’t matter how great you are defensively that they can just go with Katy go with book go with Beal and manage to score enough and their defense can survive enough through effort you know ner be nerkish being

Tough playing a little small ball sprinkled in there is the are the Suns actually number two are they number two we’ve been together too long cuz you are reading my mind look I think there’s a difference here in being number two and being the best chance to knock off the Nuggets that’s a

Great way to put it yes right cuz I do think their size could be exposed against some of the other teams um that could really punish them but you got to remember they’re the ones that gave Denver the most problems last year are the Suns most likely to take down

The Nuggets I mean that’s that’s what their what their hypothesis is do you guys agree with that I mean I can’t see why not I can’t see why not like they they got all the tools to be able to do it it’s funny that everybody keeps pointing out the offense it’s not the

Offense that scares me it’s not the offense that concerns me whatsoever like even the the the times in the fourth quarter where they go a little bit dry I feel like that’s GNA work itself out by the time they get to the playoffs I don’t feel like that’s gonna be a topic

Of discussion it’s always been about the defense you know we saw the other night against Cleveland how they were just getting run through like nothing uh in that first quarter and a half and then they started to tighten up on defense cause more problems for Garland and then

Things slow down and they won the game can they do that for 48 minutes can they be locked in defensively to cause problems for not only the Nuggets but every other team in the league you know if they start off tomorrow like they started off on Monday they’ll be down 50

After two quarters you know what I mean because we’ve seen that the Celtics have that potential to put they were up 45 on the Warriors at halftime like they have that ability right but I don’t think that this Suns team they get up for the

Good games they do get up and I don’t think when you look at Cleveland minus all the stars that they were really that hyped to play a team that missed all their pieces so tomorrow night it’s going to be a significantly different story let’s see what it looks like a

Week later or less than a week later uh from from what just happened on Saturday like let’s see how much a difference Devon Booker really can make against this team and I hope that’s a litmus test and I hope that the Suns perform well because they still got so much more

Room to improve and defensively is where they’re going to have to prove it yeah I mean if you look at the stats the Suns have improved defensively every month of the NBA season okay so they’re getting better they’re they’re being they’re they’re putting the pie and getting on a quote unquote string

You saw it against Cleveland they were able to turn it up and say okay we going we going to clamp you now to your point so I agree if they do that against Boston they’ll lose by 100 but I don’t think they will because part of why that

Happened is the motivation that book talked about like getting up for a game on a random whatever day it was in Cleveland right against against no against no uh no Talent or not no talent but a lot of starters out and so uh yeah to get back to the point though is yeah

Unequivocally man unequivocally this Sun’s team is is the team that I think if I were a Denver Nugget fan or if I was somebody that followed and covered the Nuggets daily I’d be worried about the Phoenix Suns because it’s they got they got three guys offensively that are assassins and they’re getting better

Defensively every month and to the point at the end they were the team that gave them the biggest hassle last year and and honestly I’m I struggle with same team I mean there was two guys versus a team last year in the playoffs that’s what it felt like it felt like Kevin

Durant and Devin Booker versus the entire damn nuggets team and they went six games in the series with Christmas five and DeAndre didn’t play the last game so you got to believe that if they get to do this over again they have a better opportunity I’m I’m a little less

Bullish if if the premise is are they the most likely in the west to give Denver uh a a hard time yeah but I think part of that has to do with the number of injuries that we’re starting to see other teams have do the Clippers come out clean Minnesota’s already hurt how

Does that all play out for me it’s going to be tough for the sunzo because nuggets biggest struggles lack of depth they don’t have a bench same could be said for the Suns so are we does the series come down to whose bench performs better and do you really feel safe to

Say that the sun’s bench be one right uh three-point variance is a big thing for the Nuggets they struggle when a team hits 18 or more threes against them that’s not the Suns the suns are averaging 12 makes this year like it’s not they they’d have to up that

Three-point volume and then okay how does nurkic has played well defensively in their matchups this year so far but how does how does nerk perform against jic in the playoffs and we know he’s not going to stop him but how much can he slow him down and what does that backup

Center spot look like these things all concern me when it comes to him now one benefit is Jamal Murray struggles against a more lanky Defenders right and Kevin Durant has stepped up uh and taken the charge and playing against some of the best on on the opponents so maybe he

Can slow down Jamal in ways but I I don’t want to just act like this is a super great matchup for the Suns I think they have a very good chance but there’s gonna be a lot of things that have to go right and that three-point shooting in

Particular is one that I need to see to believe because we always talk about they need to get up 30 38 403s in a game for us to feel good and they rarely hit that does that change in the playoffs does that change on the stretch I don’t

Know yeah is it a let me ask you guys a question is it a is it a successful season if let’s say in the first round or two we play the nuggets and we beat the Nuggets but we don’t go any further or does it matter how far we get yeah I

Think it’s how far we get I’m I like we somehow match up against the nuggets in the first round we beat them are we good no for for us personally or team for us personally I think if narrative no narrative wise it depends on how you

Lose like how do you how do you lose do you play the eventual champ uh really tough to a game seven and you know you lose on on something close do you get blown out like you got blown then that’s going to depend and determine the narrative right yeah and

Is it the Western Conference Finals or is it round two I like all all these things depend narrative wise you know I think I think it it’s a little bit more palatable if you beat the Nuggets in the first or second round and then you wind

Up out because you could say hey they beat the defending champs and they were better than they were last year’s Suns wise but I still think we’re talking you have to get to the finals and even then if you don’t win it the narrative is going to be well this team was put

Together for one thing and one thing only and they didn’t accomplish it yeah I I I I like the question so and I think espo said if you beat if you beat the Nuggets in the second round and get to the conf it’s it’s a successful season

For me if it’s just first round and you out in the second no I’m going to be honest man I I don’t feed into this uh the sons have to win Championship well this was a bus I I just don’t I I don’t subscribe to that I’ll go one step

Further from my from my point of view my perspective uh if the suns were to get to the Western Conference Finals I’m okay I’m okay if you’re a round away from the NBA Finals with this team with all the injuries and all the issues they had and the continuity and knowing that

This is more I I’ve always believed this is more of a two-year window than a one-year window um I think Western comp confence finals is where they need to get for me to be able to sleep good at night they don’t get to the Western Conference Finals I’m going to feel a

Little bit jaded about it but um yeah Western Conference finals and I don’t care how they get there I I I kind of on the same page as espo about like it’s it’s not if or it’s it’s how they do it how they do it okay you know they if

They get to the Western Conference finals and then get swept man [ __ ] that no yeah that was a terrible that that is not the ending you wanted at all and that’s I’m not good with that but just like in 2021 the difference between 2021 and losing in the finals

And why the last two seasons absolutely sucked is because of how you lost yeah you got blown out in the deciding games of at home by two teams like you can’t that can’t happen as opposed to Milwaukee where either team could have won the the finals it just that

Milwaukee played just a little bit better than you did and those games were competitive all the way to the end you just didn’t have enough at the end I could live with that kind of defeat because you know that they left it all out there you know what I mean whereas

The last two seasons you’re just like what the hell is happening right now it just looks like utter chaos and you’re getting run out of the gym and that just can’t happen so if if they lose like the last two seasons this year I don’t care

Who they play it’s a it’s a failure of a season you got to be competitive and as long as the suns are playing at at the best of their abilities I can handle whatever the result is but they have they have to play at a high level I mean

Let’s let’s be honest I’m going to be disappointed if this isn’t a title this year because we were sold on that that this that’s why this team was put together now am I going to be angry it depends on how they go out and when right but disappointment and anger I

Think are two different things and and and is it a failure or a disappointment is is different too like it’s a disappointment if they don’t win a title if they get blown out in a game seven in the second round well that’s a failure that’s a a catastrophic failure so I

Think there’s I think there’s some layers and levels to that as well but but yeah it’s it’s just going to depend on how do you lose if if you don’t win at all and and when other because the narrative is always determined by that to Saul’s point you get blown out uh in

Those deciding games the last two years and it changes the whole perspective you last year you losing game seven to the Nugget freak last we took we took to the you know to the freaking last and they won the title that just means we’re real close you

Know I I when Saul you made a great point you said if they make it to the Conference Finals and get swept that’s a failure I agree I agree when I say Western Conference Finals I’m saying losing the Conference Finals compete but you lose that’s fine but now now you

Opened up a can of worms I I I I just want to ask you this question you just gave the example of going to the conference finals against swab what if it’s the Conference Finals and you lose again in game seven how did you lose no

No oh no you’re not getting blown out by 40 but you lose again like my my L I don’t care if home I’m gon say this I’ll say this right now I don’t care I don’t care if it’s the first round or the NBA Finals if the suns are playing at the

Max of their abilities and they’re playing and controlling things the way that we think they should and they just happen to get beat on a good day by a good team I can live with the result you just weren’t good enough because the other team played at a higher level

That’s fine but again if we go back to this and we’re like oh they had 23 turnovers in a game oh they gave up 89,000 offensive rebounds or oh they did this or they scored three points in a fourth quarter yeah like those things like I can’t accept that and that that’s

A failure of of a year so again it’s the John Wooden way of thinking for me it’s not about wins or losses it’s about did you do everything you could to prepare accordingly and play to your max potential if you can and you did then I’m good with it whatever the result is

I got you I’m be honest there’s no failures in basketball no I’m I’m J that is very much a Flex View and I love it uh DC said I sounded like an entitled fan and I know it was with love but to me it’s not entitlement when you’ve sat

Through your entire NBA loving life and you’ve seen disappointment and failure and bad basketball and then you get the arguably the most topheavy uh most star power you’ve ever had in Phoenix history with an owner that’s willing to spend it’s not entitlement it’s just damn I want to see it and

That’s why anything short of it is a disappointment not a failure necessarily yeah but I I think you know there has to be a little bit of reality that sets in when you’re talking about this team like if you’re if you’re I know preseason wise we had these expectations but the

Way the season is gone like if they get to the NBA finals I will absolutely I don’t care if they get swept at that point like that’s a that’s a miracle of a season that you pulled that off despite the fact that guy after guy after guy was getting injured left and

Right you couldn’t get everything on the same page the inconsistency from game to game you didn’t know what this team was going to do against what opponent every single night and if they put it all together to make a run like fantastic but you know I’m I’m right now the way

That they’re playing and the inconsistency that they have shown from time to time like I I’m I’m just wanting them to play at a high level and put everything together and have that good chemistry going into the playoffs and I can live the result my expectations I don’t have any expectations I really

Don’t but I’m sorry you put you put Beal you put Booker you put KD together and and the the one thing we’ve said the whole year is if healthy well if they’re healthy in the playoffs and they don’t they don’t make the finals that’s something you can be disappointed about

As aan like because you cannot deny the top end talent and if they had been healthy the whole year and they’re sitting in the six se it’s totally different but it’s not a miracle if you make the finals when you have those three guys healthy it’s exactly what they were supposed to

Do yeah I mean I feel you dog I mean listen I think uh dis being disappointed and categorizing it as failure two different things so okay for you to be disappointed that and that’s my point I don’t think it would be a failure if they don’t win this year

Because of those factors but I definitely would be disappointed knowing the talent and if they are completely healthy in the playoffs that’s a team with enough talent to win it all yes and no question to put a pin on this but I got not real quick if I told you right

Now knowing everything this team is Going Through Chemistry continuity injuries you could sign up for the Western Conference Finals right now would you do it that’s it or I roll the dice or you roll di I roll the dice yeah I roll the dice Ro to dice mhm I mean

I’m not saying you’re going to lose in the I’m saying y okay all right so you you that’s what you said I did say that that was the end of the road I did say that I did say if I got to choose if they started in the first round or in

The Western Conference Finals I’m going to choose the AO B in the Western Conference Finals you’re right I must have forgot that we asked Eric that question yeah no yeah no look I mean considering everything they’ve been through man if this team can be playing in the Western Conference Finals with

With a chance to go to the finals I i’ I’d sign up for that yeah again it’s for me it’s about the process like I I just want them to play at their Peak I don’t really care when it is or how it is I just want to see them all get on

The same page I want to see what the potential of this team could actually be before we get to the end of the season I don’t feel like I’ve gotten that game yet I haven’t gotten that game where all three dudes were just cooking the role players were clicking the bench was was

Fantastic the defense was locked in like I we had haven’t gotten that game and we might not get that game that’s fine but that’s that’s to me that’s the ceiling is like can they get to that point and if they can I feel like everything else is going to take care of themselves

Because I do feel like that they’re one of the best teams in the NBA yeah but we still have a long way to go between now and then tomorrow is that opportunity against the Celtics so uh you know what our friends over at Circle K have a great opportunity for you become a

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For tickets to an event has got you covered I’m going to see Bruce Springsteen next week got my tickets uh on game time that was my my 40th birthday gift uh it’s something I inherited from my dad from Jersey I’m not juding I’m not juding I’m Flex fle J right yeah

I will judge I’m trying to go see Big Daddy Kane in well look game time can help you out even if you procrastinate Flex uh and we know that you know you’re you’re losing a lot of money in our in our betting uh segment so you need to

Save some money in our friends over at game time can help you do that uh use the promo code pH andx and you’re get $20 off your first purchase all you have to do is download the game time app and create an account and use that code

Terms apply again create an account and regime promo code pH andx for $20 off last minute tickets lowest prices guaranteed on the game time app Kev says uh Kev up there in the chat just said Thursday Circle K is going to do a extra discount at the pump if you have the

Inner Circle just saying okay I need gas tomorrow so I guess I’m taking advantage uh I want to we’ve talked about what could the Suns do in the playoffs we know the deficiencies that the lineup has so I want to do a little thought experiment and credit to Eric

Behind the Mac I told him he couldn’t talk before but this is was his idea uh and he did a great job with this if you could pick one son’s role player and by role player we mean some guy that was on the bench not a starter but anybody from

The past Suns lineups of that was a bench guy to magically come to this Suns team and and be that guy that he was as a Suns bench player who do you think would help this team most accomplish their goals can I go yeah go ahead I

Want go flex and I are usually on the same page so I have a feeling I might be taking his but we’ll see okay um honestly to me it’s a no-brainer it’s it’s the only player in Suns history that was the Sixth Man of the Year who do you believe yeah we’ve only

Had one right uh I believe so yes Eddie Johnson I mean not Barbosa won one okay so two but two yeah I to me it’s Johnson like you need a solid Defender like yeah I want him cuz this second unit from time to time needs some help scoring I

Want EJ and EJ says that he would be averaging 30 today if he was playing the league so I want to see it I don’t doubt him man I saw EJ drop some buckets man EJ might score 30 in this new league they might okay you gonna put it on me

Asro you want me to go I’ll go I I think I I don’t need offense I got enough offense on this on this roster there’s one of two ways I’d go but I think I’m gonna go this way you got no backup big right now yeah I’m sorry I drew Eubanks

Is a nice guy can take a punch uh can get a dunk every once in a while you have no backup big right now and you need that especially if you’re going up against uh n the nickola yices of the world in the playoffs and the way that

Nerk has had some foul trouble and you struggled at rebounding especially on the offensive glass at times I’m going chil McGee average 9.2 points Off the Bench 6.7 rebounds a Vibes a Vibes guy and a championship winner one-1 uh I believe vogle was his coach then too

Look I’m I’m I’m looking at a guy like that that can come in and solidify that backup center position I thought jock but I didn’t want to be that much of a homer uh and a guy that that I love that’s where I’d go you need a backup

Big there were a few other guys that I I was going to circumvent like James Edwards who technically was 5050 bench guy starter okay uh you know and some other guys but I think that’s a guy that could truly help okay I’m gonna cheat a

Little bit I I I think I’m gonna throw a curve ball into this because the rules are he has to be a bench player for the Suns and he has to be what he was when he was a bench player for the Suns correct that’s the only criteria we

Don’t care about what he did before or after none of that matters if you say somebody that also started a majority of his games here too but he played on the bench for one season then all right ho ho ho I’m saying I already know where

He’s going with this yeah I know where so no I was I was I’m gonna tell you what I was gonna do is this before or after Joe Klein fell into his knee no oh you’re not going there I’m not going there wow I thought you were going Danny

Manning no I’m not going there listen give me year to Mel y that’s what I thought give me year two Mel Bridges he was on the bench for two years this is the same hold on give me year two Mel Bridges who was still a defensive monster his offensive game didn’t

Develop yet but give me year to M hold on this is the same why can’t I do this is the same horse [ __ ] you tried to pull in my office where you’re like well can I have a second Devon Booker he wasy I could take rookie Deon Booker for

30 games and I this is such a Lindsay move oh my gosh you found the loophole and you tried to take it okay David said oh I was gonna say Steve Nash yeah you would have only gotten bench Steve Nash who his third string point guard not MVP

Steve Nash that’s the whole point in this thought experiment I’mma keep it I’m I’m I’mma refrain from cheating because that’s like I guess sha Maran now I do that’s who I thought you were going with Shawn Maran oh man you know you know where I yeah all right so now

Can I I can’t do Shan Mar I’mma keep it real simple a guy that I wanted the Suns to get this trade deadline but couldn’t get it done I’ll take campaign back give me campaign back uh for this playoff run and I got a little speed to that could push the

Tempo give me a little bit of security in the back cour uh I’mma keep it relatively uh uh recent and I’mma go with my boy campaign okay since y’all said I can’t have Mel booking Shan man we throw some honorable mentions out there I know this might not be popular

But I do love the energy the effort no he’s a killer um I I do like the energy that he provided for a short brief amount of time I I’m a big fan of Lou almanson okay L my God he was the effort the the defense like it was all there

That’s what this team could use like give me Lou you know who I like in that cuff for that cloth when he was here I thought he was a [ __ ] dog Off the Bench Bo outlaw yeah I love my boy doesn’t really fit today’s game could

Hees but he’ll knock you on on your ass and rebound and do some dirty stuff give me an honorable mention was way Wayman Tisdale was a starter no he no so Wayan would be a guy I consider plus he could perform at halftime too save some money

There amazing rest in peace inace rest in peace my guy we’re play he’s giving me [ __ ] for Booker the game is the guy we’d be getting the time machine and the guy that played for the Suns Elliot Perry’s another guy in the mind in the mindset

That you were saying to have a have a point guard a backup point guard I feel like Elliot Perry could be interesting averaging Elliot Perry was so overrated you didn’t like Elliot right now you you would you take Elliot Perry or sain Lee oh yeah if you say Sabin Lee I’m I’m

Done with you of course I’m taking socks dude okay yeah oh Boris Di’s good too yeah that’s that’s a good that’s a good one your honorable um good one Flex all right damn it just it just no I just had it and then y’all start talking about socks and it threw

Me off Mark West is a good call by DC uh Andrew Lang come A Lang bang you could go with that uh I don’t like the Tim Thomas one Cedric sabalos is a guy well so yeah all all fun I think there’s a lot of guys from the past of

This team that certainly could help but I in the end if you’re just going for best value and guy that could do the most I think you’re right with the EJ pick but let’s be honest EJ shouldn’t have been a six man in the time he was

He was he had starter quality when he was playing for the Suns in late but he had a bench attitude so clip that Eric and let’s run it on hey shout out to Eddie John you know for some reason like about two weeks ago I was watching game

Seven of the Sonic Suns 9293 West he he destroyed the sons he the only one that came to play that game from Sonic he almost damn near beat us by himself did yeah uh you know what after a long game and a long playoff run and a long

Thought process like this I like to have mlo Ultra shut the hell up I’m the only one reading these ads with Lindsay gone and you’re going to listen to me as I do 2.5 gr 90 calories 2.5 carbs 96 calories all taste mob Ultra is spectacular uh and

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Ultra but it’s Michelob Ultra near you it’s only worth it if you enjoy it and please enjoy responsibly and you know what I always enjoy our time over heiler River Resort and casinos if you love to have a fun weekend out there’s nothing better than going over to Wild Horse

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Weekend or anytime really uh you can go there you do you at hila River Resorts and casinos visit play ata.com uh before we get out of here I want to take a look at where the sun sit in the Western Conference standings we know that got the big game tomorrow afternoon

Against the Celtics coming up but let’s take a look these Suns as Flex said even when you’re not playing you can move up and down in these standings the suns are back in sixth out of the play and they’re half a game ahead of Sacramento

Uh they are one and a half behind New Orleans in that fifth seed uh Dallas sitting a game back in the eighth seed Lakers uh at two and a half back of the suns in the ninth seed and three and a half back is the Golden State Warriors

In the 10th seed so uh the West is is still bunched up in that back half but a couple games to watch tonight that will have an impact on what’s going on you’ve got Mavs Warriors so at least one of the teams behind you uh in is going to lose

Actually two of the teams behind you but you got Lakers and Kings as well uh tonight so there’s going to make some movement yeah you you’re going to gain ground on somebody hopefully it’s the Kings and Mavs yeah tonight uh but at least one of uh uh two of those teams

Are going to fall further behind you tonight for sure yeah it’ll be fun listen I think we’re going to do this for the rest of the season right yeah definitely pregame might as well have something to watch while the suns are on an off day yeah and I believe uh that

Lakers game is on ESPN tonight so check that out uh National TV and we will update you on it tomorrow it’s Suns at Celtics it’s an afternoon game I believe were here at 400 pm. with your pregame show 4:30 uh tip off as the Suns take on

Uh the Beast of the East the Bost and Celtics so until then you can follow Flex wa wait we got a Super Chat oh do we have a let’s read the Super Chat thank you good catching uh time travel volunteer says off topic but Saul did I

Catch you on this weekend’s Bar Rescue in Fountain Hills yes you did I’m I’m s about this it was Monday it was Monday night yeah myself and towry were on uh that episode I got a speaking line so to tow Tre it was pretty cool we were the

Undercovered spies it was pretty dope I was supposed to be there what was your line uh I think I said oh I said do you have any food okay that was it that’s you got that down bro yeah yeah I knocked it out man give my oscar right

What to Tre say you got high chair for this [ __ ] I for I forgot what he damn damn I forgot what to Tre said um but yeah it was cool I got to meet John Taffer he was dope as hell season 9 episode three episode said hey do you guys show ASU

Basketball and the guy laughed in his face was that his line so you can follow Flex at Flex from jerse you can follow Saul at saulor Bookman you can follow the show at phnx Suns and you can follow me at ESO my side is always against tow tree oh Hoy

Hoy we all like the mayor

The Phoenix Suns have an off day before taking on the Celtics yet again tomorrow, the PHNX Suns Podcast reacts to what Devin Booker had to say on The Old Man & The Three, what the NBA world is saying about the Suns being a threat to the Nuggets & discuss which former Suns role players would help this year’s team the most.

0:00 Intro
1:00 Devin Booker got comfortable with JJ Redick, talks hate, Kevin Durant & more
28:00 Are the Phoenix Suns the biggest threat to the Denver Nuggets?
51:00 If you could pick one former Suns bench player to help this team who would it be?
1:00:00 Looking at the Western Conference Standings and important games tonight

Full Devin Booker interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNMqnET1Y-M

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