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How the Phoenix Suns Offense Is Coming Into Form Down the Stretch



How the Phoenix Suns Offense Is Coming Into Form Down the Stretch

On today’s episode of Locked on suns an announcement about a new regular contributor on the program a walk through an incredible win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and what the past couple W’s have shown us about the sun’s progress down the stretch of the season on both ends let’s go you are locked on

Suns your daily Phoenix Suns podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day We are back this is locked on Phoenix Suns we are part of the locked on podcast Network I’m your host Brendan clean a credential media member covering the Suns for the past seven seasons a writer at Dime magazine the host of the just basketball show wherever you get

Your podcast and of course I also create written and video content for the locked on suns insiders which you can sign up and join at the link in the show description below thank you for making locked on suns your first listen here on this Friday another son’s game day

Another son’s home game day after two W’s now in a row wherever you’re finding the show don’t forget to hit follow or subscribe we are free and available everywhere including YouTube so when you hit that button you get an episode in your feed every single Monday through Friday from here through August

Basically for as long as you’re going to keep track I will commit to having an episode for you every day become an every dayer get locked on to the Phoenix Suns all season long that’s your job my job is to make the content and we do that for you today’s

Episode is jam-packed we have an announcement to kick things off which is that Stephen pjon who is my guest today a rider at bright side of the sun does some work at phnx does some work at chgo which we were just chatting about on the WNBA side of things before we hit record

Here Steven but adding to the resume adding to this Show’s schedule is one episode per week with stevenh um super excited to get this going heading into the playoffs super excited to have another smart basketball person who cares a lot about the Suns watches these these games just as closely as anybody

To come on and talk Suns every week and hopefully give the audience all the every dayers who are out there a lot of good stuff to chew on so thank you Stephen it’s exciting a thank you my man I really appreciate the opportunity and I’m looking to obviously connect further

With you but also just grow through speaking on the game with somebody that kind of sees things a little differently at times and just generally continue to like you said stack opportunities and just stack reps doing this thing so I appreciate you let’s get to it let’s get

To it we’ll we’ll go through a little bit of uh Stephen’s son’s background which I don’t even know the story of to wrap up the show but we have a game to get to and some basketball to talk before then so we will will not waste any more time

Before we get to it 122 to 101 was the final score Wednesday night I did not do a recap show cuz it was my birthday I was at the arena as a fan which I have not done in six years uh so that was

Very cool and very fun to be part of and um get to spend some time with friends instead of working so this is basically a recap of that game and it was an awesome win but let’s specifically focus on the offense Stephen which was I thought this very similar to the last

Cleveland game which I probably would have said was one of the best offensive process games the Suns had up to now I would put this one in that category as well it just felt like given that you know somebody like an Evan Mobley even somebody like a Jared Allen POS some matchup

Difficulties combined with the way that we know the Suns can get in their own way at times it felt like they just solved both of those problems the ball did not stick at all I I would say it was one of the best ball movement games of the season the turnovers probably

Just part of what we what you have to build into this offense they did turn it over 15 times but I loved what we saw and you look up and it’s 72 combined from book and KD how do you feel like this game kind of progressed forward from what we’ve seen

From the offense lately and what St out to you well I think for one you can live with the turnovers when the assist total is is that high and I mean you’ve lamented over it written and on podcast format so if I and even on the timeline in terms of

When the assist totals are high that’s when this team is optimized because that means the ball’s moving around most of the possessions are ending on field goals that are assisted by rather than it be isolation where the ball is sticking which is obviously adverse to everything that they’re trying to build

Towards so I think kind of looking at it from the lens and the context of the Cleveland Cavaliers they have like you mentioned Jared Allen and Evan Mo in their front court and those two particular front Court teammates can not just guard well but they can also switch

Actions and be interchangeable not just four five or five4 actions but they can both guard down and do so effectively in space and we saw them bet with that Gambit on a handful of the actions that we’re starting to see the Suns get into a little bit more in this window prior

To the playoffs a lot of ram screens being set for the for the Suns which is just a screen for the eventual person that’s going to ultimately set a screen on Ball and as they get into those actions and whether it’s ver that they get into which is that screener then

Send the screen off the ball after pick and roll or Spain pick and roll Moy and Allen are able to switch those things kind of just takes away some of the tempo and some of the movement from the Suns and those actions so seeing them process through that and do so

Effectively was very interesting so agreed and I you saw earlier right to give a more specific example too of the first couple scoring opportunities KD had I think he had an ISO up top against Jared Allen off of a switch he had a a drive where he kind of got stuck and I’m

Not a personal fan of the static KD possessions I think they can work when he’s when he’s in Rhythm when he has a feel for the defender that might be on him or obviously when he has a mismatch but just the give it to KD and have him

Kind of drive or create or whatever I think at this age that’s that’s not a great plan given how many great options the Suns have and so they were able to to not make so many mistakes on their way to figuring out other ways to get him involved transition spot UPS finding

Those mismatches creating them with some of the sets that you talked about so I really liked it but it it again it spoke to me as a con a continuation of I mean this uh you know not as sned as it might sound but they’ve just been

Running more stuff lately and that is going to be the best way to avoid those static possessions to you know keep the assist numbers High to generate threes for everybody but especially to kind of maximize the role players and even just create easy opportunities for the stars and not make it so difficult

So I liked that this game continued that Trend but what it made me start to wonder because at the end of the day you do look at it and it’s nine shot attempts for Beal and you know the Grayson factor which we’ll get into as we talk about how how

Good Royce looked in this game in the next segment but how do you think about the kind of pecking order and hierarchy for this group do you do you think about it in those terms or do you think about it more from the offensive structure and just kind of taking what that provides

Because we also have seen the trend of Beal taking a lot fewer shots lately and frankly to me Durant looking a lot more like he kind of looked in last year’s playoffs when we were all scratching our heads of like is he this is he a decoy are did they not have

Enough time to integrate him and it’s not exactly like that but there’s been a lot of possessions where he is sort of that spot up off ball guy so I’m not kind of saying good or bad on any of that but I guess just as an open-ended

Thing do you feel like we’re seeing a hierarchy or do you just think this is what this week has looked like next week might be different because it’s all about the process yeah I I think that’s a good question and I think it speaks to where the specifically The Big Three are

Evolving in their processing performing all with each other in the lineup which is obviously when this team is optimized I feel like I wouldn’t use the word hierarchy just because that feels more tearing and you know yeah I think it’s more toic it feels more toxic it feels more it feels more

Twitter Twitter conversation with hot words and all that fun stuff but no I feel like this it’s more organization so obviously post All-Star break especially in that stretch where book was out with the ankle injury you saw Bradley Bill get into a whole lot more of initiating

Of offense and that trend has not broken its Rhythm since Devin Booker returned to the lineup that was something I was looking for in the first couple of games and that trend is certainly sustained and I think it’s important because now when you’re allowing Deon book to work in movement before getting into

Ultimately if it’s pick and roll or whatever the case may be in terms of action H different versus him bringing the ball the floor now he’s stagnant so is his opponent and they’re just sitting there waiting to load up and navigate screens and communicate with the defense

And all of that adds a little bit just the slightest bit more Nuance to the attack in addition to Bradley Bill just abundantly being a downhill threat regardless of wherever he has the ball in his hands defense has a load up in some capacity for it and that keeps the

Person on ball on their toes and it just gives the offense a little bit different of a organization from the onset and I think it trickles down into obviously Kevin Durant being involved in movement and Bradley Bill as well once he passes it out or if he’s not putting pressure

On the paint to get the ball rolling from there I think all those little pieces organization wise just help to bring them a little more in alignment with where they want to be on offense I like the word organization I would even also add the kind of idea of

It just feels like every everybody’s mentality is a little more specific now right like Beal being able to know you know the offense is going to be set up for me to drive downhill whether I’m walk working the ball up and that’s going to be a pick and roll where I’m

Just you know initiating collapsing the defense and getting things started or I’m going to be coming off a screen whatever that situation might be transition my mentality is going to be to get downhill and and I’m going to trust the coaching staff and my teammates to get me in position to do

That KD it’s probably a little more varied cuz he can do it all but I think less of those static possessions and okay if I’m not going to be isoing I need to be ready to attack I think his aggressiveness was really good last night and then for book I think the role

Might have probably stayed the same but I think knowing kind of what he’s supposed to be setting up as the quote unquote point guard of the team or the guy with the ball in his hands probably the most out of anybody as that initiator well now he’s kind of being

Able to say all right well if that what each of these other dudes is doing well my job’s to to get them in position to do that he obviously is off ball plenty as well and and and can do his thing um he’s been taking more pull-up threes

Lately he’s been a little more aggressive in transition I feel like and those are always good signs for him so I think we could have done 30 minutes on this but we’re going to have to part ways with this topic and jump into Royce O’Neal because he was awesome in another

Starting opportunity Stephen and I have both been beating the drum for him to play more minutes with this group group potentially get locked into an actual starting spot long term did we get closer to that happening if not we’ll at least hype up why it looks so good coming up

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Dealer all right keeping things rolling Royce O’Neal gets the starting nod for Grayson Allen who dealing with kind of just a pain management situation from what it sounded like with Grayson Allen’s hip Frank vogle explained pregame that it’s something he’s dealt with basically his whole career and it’s

Really just something he needs to kind of rest at times TBD on if that affects him I wouldn’t expect it to that probably opens up some questions about you know Royce’s future but let’s start with the game he played first Stephen before we get into that 17 points six

Rebounds six of nine from the field got up some threes in this case made a lot of them we know he can be streaky but he they were wide open he he cashed in on those and had the primary assignment a lot of possessions of of starting out on

Mitchell or at even Garland kind of did everything you would want a a forward Wing option in a a starting group around stars to do um what do you like best about the way Royce fits with these guys what’s the part of it that that really feels like the most valuable

Thing yeah for for me with Roy the thing that popped up off the film when just kind of looking at how he could ingratiate and integrate rather himself into the son’s context it was his IQ the quick processing the ability to see things develop and have a feel for the

Game that allows few to react a little bit quicker than not to obviously comparing the other pieces on the Suns but just speak generally going to be more preemptive with the things that he’s doing on the floor than it is um moving in reactions to things and especially in the space that you’re

Playing in defensively in today’s NBA whether that’s coming preemptively in communication or preemptively in terms of positioning those two things are completely invaluable you get all of that in addition to a bump up in size and versatility in terms of guarding multiple positions when Royce O’Neal is

On the floor and I think those things in tandem with everything that nerkish brings in tandem with everything that Kevin Durant brings I think it fits for the team in terms of just creating more lineup balance and starting with a more balanced iteration of a starting lineup and then obviously being able to

Sprinkle in the the multitude of power Technics and movement that Grayson Allen sprinkles in on offense and just kind of letting things kind of be a little bit more organized and aligned in that respect I don’t think it’s a like a change that absolutely has to happen I

Think it’s really great that they have optionality but I think it might be from my from my perspective just a little more curiosity just seeing with more minutes what what Royce O’Neal looks like with that specific starting unit I think that’s a good way to put it right

Because you just saw uh and heard the way that KD specifically loves playing with him right and I do think there is something about him being out there that over the course of last season in in Brooklyn and then just coming back to well coming to Phoenix to join

Durant it it’s just he seems like one of those those guys that that maximizes and develops that kind of telekinetic connection with the players that he’s out there with um I like the pyot Technics there you got that was a little Walt Frasier of you you’re you’re

Getting on the uh the uh the thesaurus and I and I love it um better than comparing him Grayson to Steve Nash which I I I personally was in the room for and knew Frank was just goofing around but now people use it against him which you know I don’t know how that

Happened but um yeah so with Roy last night to me he uh a few things jump out and and a lot of it can definitely be traced back to the IQ so I think offensively he just has an awareness of everybody else in a way that you know I

Get why he gets called a point forward and why guys would like to play with him there was a possession several possessions they when I think as the game they emphasized nerk a little bit more including in the start the third quarter which maybe didn’t go great but

It’s at least executing what they’re trying to do and in those moments O’Neal is like okay we ran something nurkic set a screen they switched actions nurkic now has a a mismatch he’s getting in position I’m catching the ball maybe I could take a three but the ball’s

Already to nerk by the time like it’s a it’s a touch pass to him just knowing what’s going to need to happen there obviously we’ve all seen the spontaneous I don’t even know how much it’s mapped out types of on ball screens that he’ll often just set to just create some

Flavor in the offense when things are getting stagnant and I think that this team could really benefit from that at times I think having a quick trigger is is a skill in and of itself even though again you know we saw a cold stretch from him but really he didn’t he didn’t

Shy away from it and that that kind of has to happen especially when you’re getting into a playoff situation you can’t afford to waste a position possession because you’re tentative when a contested three might be better than over moving the ball or turning it over or something and then

Defensively I think you know they all they all talked about his um communication being really A Difference Maker you know I’m not in there I’m not going to pretend to tra Trace everything back to Rey but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that their transition defense has gradually improved I think

It was there before he came but it feels like he probably has added to that I think the other thing though is their off ball switching has become a lot more locked in and you feel them being more comfortable I would say uh Stephen just taking risks and kind of maybe getting

Out of position a little bit and overcorrecting because I think they’re developing a little more trust with each other to say hey we can overhelmed get back out of it or protect ourselves cover for ourselves in ways that I don’t think they had even when maybe you know they were putting aogi

Out there more whatever the defensive Personnel I don’t even think we saw it then so I think on both sides Roy’s versatility and that IQ are are huge and I just think that’s going to give you so many more options even with how great of

A season Grayson has had so that was a there’s a lot there but I mean I I just think to me it’s kind of starring them in the face to at least get this guy on the court with these Stars more even if you know at the end of the day it might

Not matter who actually starts yeah and I think I think you made some very great points in that um especially kind of speaking more to the offensive side I think there’s more food left on the table in terms of the usage that they can get out of Royce O’Neal on offense

Obviously usage with him is not specifically with him having the ball and taking the ball out of the big three’s hands or use of nish’s hands for that matter more so just looking at the advantage creation Dynamic of everything that he quickly processes a play breaks

Down on the on the first side it gets swung to the second side and the Suns always have that record scratch moment in flow where everybody’s looking around and they’re trying to reset and regenerate new Pace new Tempo or a new advantage in the late clock I go to a

Rep from last night where he got a he got a three-point opportunity top side where the ball got swung to the second side to Devon Booker he immediately goes to set a go screen gets a little bit of a reaction at on Ball but also I believe

It was Donovan Mitchell who was guarding him and as he relocates to pop top side the pace at which it occurs puts Donovan Mitchell a half beat behind schedule and for him he has a quick trigger so he gets the catch realizes he has the space

And he’s able to lace him up and knock it down from straight on for I think maybe his second three-pointer in that game and if you rewind about maybe two and a half three minutes prior to that he got another opportunity where he created a opportunity for Bradley Bill

Ling the shot clock uh in the corner off of ghosting on on the ball ghosted to the wing this time got a reaction on ball they were inuring recover with Donovan Mitchell he popped to the unoccupied space and the dominoes fell defensively donov or Darius Garland had

To jump off of Bradley Bill in the corner to account for the ball plus one pass Bradley Bild wide open for three I think those little things in Advantage Creation in addition to him just understanding leverage when he’s setting screens he understands when to set him

When to pop and when to um when to obviously slip but understanding also the angles that which he needs to Crea an advantage for teammates in those context of offense there’s just so much invalu ability to everything that he brings and like you mentioned in the

Onset of the Royce O’Neal topic it all just kind of finds a way to lend itself right back to that overarching point in IQ you just can’t replace IQ you can’t really teach IQ it’s just about a player’s feel for the game and it kind of playing out in multiple

Contexts all right Royce O’Neal uh Love Letter over we’ll see what happens he’s going to play play a lot either way there was a weird stretch there where he was getting like 10 to 15 minutes it feels like whatever that experimentation was or just whatever that pattern of

Games was has been put to rest so he’s going to be huge in the playoffs and we’ll see what role he does play next I will let Stephen sort of introduce himself even more to the show by uh I don’t know if anyone values Yousef nurkic more in the sun’s online uh fan

Community than Steven so I will let you uh nerd out about nerk as a way of introducing yourself and then I do want to hear your son’s fandom uh son’s F son’s interest whatever it might be story uh cuz you’re not local right now

So I got to poke around at that so we’ll get into that all coming up in just a second first Today’s Show brought to you by the Amazon Fire TV Fire TV is your destination for sports from live games to Highlights to in depth analysis Fire tv offers amazing viewing experiences on

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Out okay let me think of how to pose the nerkish side of things here uh what what about his um role with and the way he’s developed alongside this group do you think is going to be most valuable come playoff time well a lot like with Royce

O’Neal just in different context and it just hits different because of the position he plays and the size he has his IQ the way he processed the game the way he understands how to create new advantages maintain advantages and even execute within him with his skill I

Think it’s I mean unless you iner niik yish into the Suns offense it doesn’t get much better than Yousef nerkish in terms of a piece that compliments everything process-wise without having names and players attached to the offensive process for the Suns nothing really comp complements that better but

Also he complements the big three in terms of skill for all that they like to do it requires movement or pick and role play and who’s setting all of those screens for for those players and doing so effectively it’s you of nerkish more often than not and I I think just you it

It gives monotonous because you see him play over the course of almost 82 games now doing these things over and over but that doesn’t take away the value at which the volume at which he’s able to execute at in those context matters in the pick and roll set no screens for

Players to get open get into a freedom with two or three dribbles or to engage the opposing big man that’s guarden nkic so now when he rolls either it’s a late switch or he’s got ad Advantage play in a short rle where he’s obviously optimized now you got the defense rotating

All of these things in addition to the Gort screens that he’s setting after he sets a screen on ball the guard comes off and gauges the opposing big and they get back and he’s able to set a screen on his own man and that abls Deon Booker opportunities as soft touch floaters for

M1’s like we saw in the game against the New Orleans Pelicans and things of that nature just those little things that he does on offense is just so connective uh I think hubs and connectivity for fives and specifically in this era of the NBA is as important as anything he has that

In Spades and he processed the game well in addition to that and I think the last thing on him he’s just such a great teammate you see how receptive the players are to him whether that be on social media whether it be the coaches speaking about him in press conferences

Or the players everybody’s receptive to him he has a friendly type of gravity to him and again when you’re talking about building out a roster to contend there’s going to be lows there’s going to be highs there’s going to be those spot in between and he addresses all three of

Those with a positive attitude yeah I don’t think you can say enough about how well he’s just fit in all the ways that word could could be defined here right I mean even just too like staying healthy which was a question mark but also I I love the

Chip he has on his shoulder about like he’s aware of his perception and and that starts with the health and the doubt about his ability to stay on the court and play Big minutes and this and that and you can tell he kind of gets frustrated when he has to address that

Cuz he just doesn’t think it’s fair and I mean great like I’m I’m all four guys you know going to bat for themselves of course so I think all of it is and the selflessness on the court goes along way right I mean there are limitations to

What nurkic is just like there are for a lot of players but you can tell that him sacrificing and doing so many things to make other guys better or cover for them or do things that are are not glamorous is not doesn’t go unnoticed and I think

That’s a a really big deal that even if it might not feel like it kind of like you said if it’s just happening every night and you know it isn’t glamorous we can we can Overlook it but it is important all right so some some nerding out about IQ was a

Great way to to to set us up for this but how did you come to be following the Suns care about the Suns what is your uh your origin story here for the people who have heard you on podcast seen you on Twitter but maybe don’t know including me

Yeah for sure so I I actually started watching this the Suns when I was younger I was always in so long story short I played point guard um I’ve always been kind of in positions of leadership and one of my favorite point guards was Steve Nash so going back to

The obviously D Tony seven seconds or less era I didn’t necessarily fathom what seven seconds or less was I just like the style of play like you got this point guard you got all the skills in the world coming off a pick and roll and at that point I’m in like middle school

So naturally I’m in those positions running a lot of pick and roll fig out how to make passes read defenses how to navigate as a smaller guard on top of that that’s kind of where the Inception of my um my gravity towards the sun started with the Steve Nash era and even

Before then honestly I’m from the same Hometown as Michael Finley so when I was growing up when I was younger and I was going to Michael Finley basketball camp I think he had just got from Phoenix to Dallas if I’m not mistaken so I kind of

Knew of his origin with the Phoenix Suns and everything and just kind of following his career so really between those two Steve Nash and Mike Finley that’s when my Inception with the sun started and then it kind of picked up a little bit more U one my favorite player

Of all time Chris Paul got traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to Phoenix and everything that came with that rekindling the flame with Monty Williams like all of that fun stuff same thing with Willie Green being on the sidelines and all of that so that’s really where

It all started for me and that was also at the same time where I was getting done with college and I was just trying to figure out okay what team do I want to cover to lay my foundation and expand upon that naturally being able to by way

Of Zoom for opportunities like these and also covering teams um in the W and whatnot um just compiling those opportunities kind of lefted for me to cover the Suns and start kind of spreading my seas in terms of um just sharing my knowledge and also learning

On the flight with it all so here I am today all right so every I it’s funny like I I’m thinking of stre car who people probably follow on Twitter too I had him on the Pod like two years ago and I asked him the same question cuz he’s from the bay

And I was like how why do you care about this team same thing Steve Nash it’s a it’s a universalizing experience I think to watch that dude so I’m sure Suns fans can relate to that but yeah um okay so have you been to Phoenix I have not I’ll

Be there this summer for the WNBA allstar game so I’m looking forward to you know seeing what is seeing what it’s like out there and everything rough time to have to be your first trip out here to do that in July that’s that’s not ideal that was my thought when they

Announced that I’m like great event very excited to to have everybody and host that but also um ignore the what it feels like come back in March come back in February and it’ll feel a lot better but okay no that’s awesome so is there anything else people should

Know about uh I mean the the you come at it from a point guard kind of perspective as a player Chris Paul love I feel like we’re piecing it together is there anything else uh the people should know as they get ready to to have your your your words in their ears every

Week uh I mean that kind of really speaks for itself in terms of looking at the game through those you know types of lenses um so I think that really says everything I think the other thing is just to make sure that we’re appreciating the players and the

Greatness that’s taking place on the nightly bases across the entire NBA but even more so with the Suns I know as as fans people can get lost in the ups and downs especially with the highs and lows that this particular team has had this season in comparison to the last four

Seasons nonetheless an alltime great in number 35 is walking in and is tearing down scoring records in I think he’s played 89 games now as a son and he’s already like shattering scoring records ascending up the the ranks in terms of scoring for in a season and all of these

Different things in addition to the alltime great work that he’s continuing to ascend up upward in make sure you’re appreciating the greatness and the talents that are on this roster at the moment might not necessarily be adding up to the team that your expectations might have might have been for them but

They’re still a team that is gon to have to be dealt with come playoffs and obviously ultimately your building for the playoffs not necessarily the regular season so you know allow for them to take their lumps in this regular season stretch they’re definitely in a better

Place now than they were even just three games ago but yeah just make sure you’re appreciating the greatness that’s taking place on the floor at the moment I love it um I I need that reminder as well so you might not have meant it for

Me but it it landed for me because um you know I not only do you know I have to watch have to get I watch every day just like everybody else but it’s also like you know imagine pulling your hair out over watching and then you have to

Give some kind of take I’m not complaining it’s an awesome opportunity to get to do this show but it is nice to reenter and be like yeah this is cool the 89 games that that is a crazy number to hear that that that has flown by the

Amount of games that KD has played here I I mean it you know it feels like it was a couple days ago that we were like is he going to be ready for the playoffs you know what what was the trade like did they and now here we are it’s been a

Year so um okay well it’ll be great we have a what one one more show of the regular season for Stephen and I next week and then after that uh we’ll either be recapping what happened in the first playin game or we will be getting ready

For the first round uh one way or another so uh definitely hitting the ground running should be very very fun you can also check out Stephen’s writing over at bright side of the sun on the Suns his Twitter will be in the show description as well as on the screen if

You’re on YouTube so you can keep up there if you don’t already uh this is it for the week I’ll be back with for the locked on suns insiders a video watchback of I think I’m going to do the third quarter of suns Cav so that’s just

A video watching back as it’s called the quarter and what happened in it and then hopefully more if the game against the Wolves goes as well as maybe we’re all hoping I’ll do another episode there too so hit follow or subscribe if you haven’t sign up at the link in the show

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Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are getting organized and developing a clear mentality leading the Phoenix Suns offense during the stretch run of the NBA season.

Brendon Kleen of @justbasketballfans is joined by new weekly contributor Stephen PridGeon to discuss the Suns’ offensive strides and Royce O’Neale looking great again with the starters against Cleveland. To close, hear Stephen’s Suns backstory and more about his approach as a basketball lover!

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3 Comments

  1. So I would just like to point something out real quick. I understand u want the best record so u can play at home if a series goes to 7 games.
    Nobody really thinks about the first 4. The lower seed in a way has the advantage. U play first 2 games at the better teams court. The games 3-4. So with a team like the sun's if they can keep increasing their level of play. We go in as 6th get first round advantage. Then off to best seed. Where all we need to do is still a couple quick wins away then come back to what becomes the rowdiest crowds in the NBA.

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