How a New-Look Bradley Beal Is Stepping Up For the Phoenix Suns

How a New-Look Bradley Beal Is Stepping Up For the Phoenix Suns

On today’s episode of Locked on suns the single biggest change we have seen since the All-Star break is Bradley Beal looking like a whole new man how did he do this can it hold and much more let’s go you are locked on suns your daily Phoenix Suns podcast

Part of the locked on podcast Network your team every Day And we’re back this is lockon Phoenix Suns we are part of the locked on podcast Network I’m your host Brendan clean I’m a writer over at die magazine the host of the just basketball show I also create video and written content for the lockdown Suns insiders Community

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Does every single week here on Monday is Brandon dwas he is a writer over at Bright Side of the Sun and we have a lot to get to so Brandon I just want to throw this simple question your way is Bradley Beal a new

Man I think so I I think uh just based off everything he’s saying and he’s backing up his talk as far as his his mindset shift that that quote was awesome to hear that he just kind of said somebody’s got to do it and he took

It upon himself to go out there and and play defense at at a higher level and yeah I think I think we’re looking at the the new and improved Bradley Beal that’s uh sacrificing so love to see it yeah it’s obvious just from the matchups he’s getting right I mean this

Week alone he’s guarded dejonte Murray Tyrese Maxi there’s been games in the he even got Damen Lillard in the second half after things were already a little hairy but did a a better job I think you would say than Grayson Allen did or anyone else probably would have from a

Defensive standpoint in that game which we talked about the last time you and I recorded I would say I mean playmaking wise right too he is I think it was 12 to just one turnover in the Spurs game on Saturday night the night before we’re recording

And uh it just feels like a a very different version of the guy we have been seeing I think the the obvious other ingredient you have to pinpoint though Brandon is he’s healthy and it kind of sucks almost in a way to I I I

Don’t want to make it a negative it just it it makes you feel like wow we could have been seeing this all along if these guys had maybe just like this Evolution could have started in December if everybody just played more games it is kind of a bummer in that way yeah that’s

Why after that Bucks game even though they lost the the way and I said this just the way he was moving in that game was really encouraging and I think a sign of things to come and the health is key with him and with this entire team

Just seeing them finally get these reps healthy and it helps that they’re playing against the MB list Sixers and the Trey young list Hawks and the NBA talentless Spurs like it’s it’s that definitely helps but at the same time these are the games that in the past

We’d see this team kind of sne used for and so we can’t have it both ways so I’m not going to take these wins for granted they need them desperately they need these minutes and Reps desperately and they should have had them uh a lot earlier but you you’ll take it and I

Think Beal’s Health obviously and just the playmaking like you said I think it’s like 49 to 19 assisted turnover ratio last six games like he’s he’s just been more involved in the early initiation of the offense to take some of that pressure and workload off book

And dur on that end and then also on the defensive end stepping up so I think that combination frees both those guys up and allows them to be who they are and just like I said just the sacrifice is something they’re going to need not just from Beal but from book and Durant

Too on on some nights or they’re gonna need to just you know swallow their pride and and just do whatever’s task is at hand to to win games so definitely encouraging good to see be healthy yeah two three straight wins in double digits so I agree completely it

It would have been a very different conversation I think coming off of these three wins if it felt tight and not to say those the Sixers in the Hawks games were like a breeze but it was basically a couple ugly first quarters and then they handled business the rest of the

Way the Spurs they just LED wire to wire which is exactly what you want to see and finally a night where guys get to rest a bit and something I think we all would have liked to have seen from this group more consistently and not having you know 40 minutes played against like

The Raptors and and things like that but it is what it is couple other numbers on Beal pre-all-star versus post Allstar you know you can get infinitely you know microscopic with some of these numbers if you really want to but just as a general contrast I think this is pretty

Good 10 more touches per game post All-Star break versus pre-all-star break and we’re at about a month now since the a break so it’s it’s a it’s a hand it’s a solid handful of games and almost a minute and a half more time of possession per game post All-Star

Break compared to pre-all-star break so the split has been fairly balanced all year book leads the way Durant has been second Beal is in third and that’s the same even with this Evolution since the All-Star break but it’s gotten a little closer and as we know with Durant he can touch

It a lot but not ever feel like he’s dominating the ball so his time of possession is is actually behind Beal and I think this feels a lot more like put the ball in your guard’s hands let them go to work work the work whatever mismatch you

Want it has felt a little bit more like closer to 5050 between Booker and Beal but I think they’re also doing a good job on the offensive end Brandon of even when Beal is like running a set so to speak I think it’s a lot

More dialed back not to say he’s a bad passer or that he can’t read the game or whatever but it’s not he’s not Chris Paul out there and I think he’s not even Devon Booker but it’s like he can dribble he can make the right read he

Can make and execute a simple pass and he has the gravity that’s going to demand that he’s guarded and all those things so let’s run something off ball spring somebody open and have be to deliver that pass and he’s been doing that pretty well honestly the thing that

All of this makes me wonder though is aside from health and this includes the defensive end which if you think back to that Pelicans game I felt like we were turning a corner when he guarded Zion and I was getting very excited about like wow he can be this on ball Defender

That this team really needs and that’s kind of what we had all been waiting for and then it it it disappeared for a while why do you think this did not happen sooner besides the fact that there haven’t been reps cuz pretty much since Christmas or just after these guys

Have mostly been healthy why did it take so long for them to click Beal’s roll into place when I think if you had asked us in July we probably would have told you Beal’s rooll should look something like this yeah sometimes I mean if it’s the first time you’re doing something as a

Basketball player and playing an entirely different role and trying to embrace that while also working back from uh multiple inj is getting hit in the face dealing with a lot of very uh it was just a roller coaster season all around so I think just trying to finally

Settle into that and fully embrace it takes a mindset for it to become consistent because like you said we saw flashes of it we’re like is this here to stay and I think Beal’s finally fully embracing it he’s fully healthy and that makes it easier and then also on the

Flip side uh Durant and Booker are are taking advantage of it and and I feel like welcoming him and for any new team with this much turnover there’s going to be those Growing Pains like I still don’t think they’re out of the woods yet there’s still a lot of things they need

To correct and I think it’s uh easy for them to look like a well oiled machine against the Spurs but it’s uh something I’m not gonna sneeze at at this point they are not uh over over the hump by any means but I think this is an

Important ingredient 100% so I think the fact that he’s fully embracing it and his quotes are lining up with his actions that’s what I think with those two things being aligned and and then winning games that also helps because if he’s doing all this sacrificing and and they’re they’re losing and he’s not

Getting touches or you know whatever whatever you want to say like I think that’s a lot like more difficult to embrace uh but winning cures everything so I think if they can just keep stacking the wins and I don’t think they’re going to care too much about

Counting stats and that goes for Booker and Durant too like I think there’s been games where Durant sacrificed a lot offensively and when whenever they’ve lost he’s not been he’s vocally been a little frustrated about it at times and and rightfully so so I think uh whenever

He they’ve won though I don’t think that you hear a peep from him or book about their touches or shots or anything like that so just keep stacking the winds uh it makes embracing different roles a lot more e like easier for for everyone so

Yeah yeah I the thing I guess I want to I hope to hear from him and you know maybe if it hasn’t been asked and they come back home I’ll ask him but the the question in my mind is how does he feel that outside of Defense which I think makes more

Sense it’s a little more like what he was doing when he was playing next to John Wall like 10 years ago on defense so that that is a change but offensively like you look at the numbers or the way he was playing and part of why I thought he

Would be such a hand and glove fit on the offensive end with this team even without a traditional point guard was he had a 30% assist rate last year um or two years ago it was 30 last year was 27 so and and the co year when

He averaged 31 a game or 31 and then 32 whatever he was up there in assist rate as well so he is a guy that has been able to use his scoring ability to open up opportunities for teammates and deliver the pass to them consistently and and

And get assists like that’s never really been an issue even next to Russell Westbrook or again kman porzingis who have the ball quite a bit and everything else how does he feel like this is actually a different approach on offense even than that I guess would be my

Question it’s better players I think you would have to say maybe that’s just the simple answer is I’m going to look for mine more if I’m playing next to you know a decent starter like kozma rather than a Hall of Famer like Kevin Durant that

Might be it but I want to as he does it more I’m curious like really at a granular level like what is he doing different l what does he feel like he’s had to adjust and we’ll continue to see it play out another Evolution we have

Seen over the past week or so by the Suns is the bench being a strength and again as Brandon said multiple times that has been a lot easier to say and do uh against Bad teams but that is how you get blowout wins is your bench actually

Performs rather than having to put your starters in to save the day in every single fourth quarter so let’s look at then versus now the beginning of the year versus now and why the bench feels a little more trustworthy than it has coming up next you are locked on

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Piece of news or rumor that comes out about the sun sent directly to your phone you can reply to me you can do q&as and mailbag stuff as we grow that base of people go to join sub.com to sign up or visit the link in the show description below the bench Brandon we

Saw another game with three guys in double figures in the main four bench players the Suns have settled on which has pretty much been well the past two games for sure and it feels like it’s been building toward this settling into who’s playing as well as getting some production and consistency

Out of those guys what have your thoughts been on on this ninan unit the the Suns have kind of decided on and why do you think it’s working better now than maybe at any point in the season well the first and obvious thing is just the The Big Three is all healthy

And that that makes everyone’s role a lot more clear clearly defined it makes them uh more susceptible to getting open shots and I think the spacing is is a lot better so guy like Eric Gordon for example I think he anytime he makes like two or three threes in a game you could

Pretty much chock it up as his son’s win I I’ll do a deep dive on that kind of look into some some numbers and see if I could pull a stat but uh I think a lot of these guys are that that’s tough is a

Lot of the he’s had to play he’s had to start or play like really heavy minutes so often that some of those numbers it’s like well yeah he produced better cuz he was playing a lot so that but the thing with him that’s been nice this week is

To see him prod in an actual bench Ro and keep the Rhythm even though he’s just having to kind of come in cold and be a real bench player for sure and those threes just feel like daggers when you have like Booker and Durant like rolling offensively you have Beal you

Know penetrating getting wherever he wants and then all of a sudden you know Gordon’s wide open in the corner the top of the key for a three it just it feels like it just wears the defense out so I think he’s one of those pivotal pieces

That if he’s hitting shots with the big three doing what they do it’s just it feels overwhelming defense L same with uh with Grayson but I think Royce O’Neal’s shooting as well has been uh you know those those first two home games against Atlanta and Philly that he

Was he was on one so I think this just comes down to spacing really and then obviously like you know you’re talking about Robin Hood earlier the ad if I could invest all my stock it would be into to Bull Bowl right now and I I

Think we we need to see more minutes I’ve been preaching all year we need more uh he he had some pretty unreal shots yesterday and he’s playing confident so uh he I think he’s another key piece that obviously he’s still pretty young you can’t you don’t know

What you’re going to get some nights but I think just giving him instilling that confidence in him and and letting him do his thing um alongside those uh like I said just the big three I think him and him and Gordon are two guys that if they’re rolling and and the the big

Three are rolling like good luck because this team is is a problem so th those are the main pieces that I think just are starting to settle in a little bit and and Eubanks has even had some good run lately so got to give him credit

There and I know uh some people aren’t the biggest fans of him but I think you know you got to give him props when when he’s playing hard and you know they they they could use as many positive minutes as possible so we’ll take it

Yeah with Eubanks just to key in on that real quick I the ask of him is pretty limited right so I think that’s part of why vogle has stuck with him the small ball stuff is I think I was pushing it for a while before the Suns finally started to use

It but now I’m kind of on the side of pump the brakes a little bit it’s not going to be the Suns aren’t going to ride that for you know let’s say nurkic plays 30 minutes in the playoffs the Suns can’t do that for the other 20 minutes it’s

Going to be in in bits and pieces we’ve already seen the limitations of Durant can get tired it’s unreasonable to ask a guy who’s 20 who’s 35 years old to be your top scorer as well as you know defending a center for 20 minutes a game

So maybe they do that for five minutes a game and nkit plays 30 and now you’re really only needing 10 to 15 good minutes out of Eubanks and I think the other reason that the progression has come for him and that vogle has stuck with him

Is truly I believe the the the mistakes that Eubanks makes are mental he he just does not seem to be a guy who instinctively reads where he needs to be on defense and can process coverages as Elite I mean better than I ever would better than anyone we’re

Watching in March Madness right he’s a he’s an NBA player but compared to some guys in the league those lapses are going to be there so it’s about it’s about limiting those like even on Thursday when he played really well and nkit had foul trouble Katie was about to you know I’m

I’m saying this as a joke was about to like smack the dude in the face on one of the defensive possessions I’m sure people saw it on the broadcast it was very clear in the arena he was like exaggeratedly like what the hell I think he’s a frustrating person to play with

The same way he’s a frustrating person to watch but it’s 10 to 15 minutes can you get him to plug in and and and focus for 10 to 15 minutes and I think they’ve been getting it the point I wanted to make though and I’ll pass it back to you

Is m how much this has changed since the beginning of the season and not even the beginning of the season but if you think back right December 13th is the first game that the big three play together when the twins came back to town uh the bench the rotation that

Night even bullbull got zero minutes Eubanks got four the metu started at the four so Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon were both out it’s not the perfect example let’s just say Grayson would have started let’s say udawat na who got seven minutes probably would have been out of the

Rotation aogi was also out but still metu plays 20 minutes little plays 27 Goodwin plays 27 Bates theat plays 12 that was the rotation around the big three so I think the other thing to say is like O’Neal coming in and the big three being healthy yes but even just

The whole rest of the rotation being healthy we’re talking about a pretty small sample of vogle actually settling in on what he wanted his guys to be and starting to pick and choose what the combo like we the Suns don’t play an all bench lineup they don’t even play five

Bench guys so which matchups and combos does he like and I think that’s gone a long way too of just getting same as we’re talking about with the big three the other guys need it too just reps and comfort yeah and I have a couple things

On you Banks I think number one is this is more offensively just in terms of putting him in a position to succeed this is something I think anded Eddie Johnson actually talks about this a lot is like some of the passes they’re giving him are just not in putting him

In a favor favorable position so it’s like knowing your personnel I feel like that happens he like they’re so used to nurkic being that secondary hub for the offense where they can you know run the essentially run the the secondary offense through him and Eubanks is definitely not that so I think

Understanding what he is and embracing that for short stretches that’s how you’re going to maximize him he needs to to be same with the Ki both those guys need to come in five minute stretches each half give them 10 minutes like let’s say five or like five to six

Minutes at a time and just say go as hard as you can wear the other team out make sure they’re you know they’re not having a fun time playing against you when you’re on the court like give me everything you have for two short stretches and that is your role if if

Aogi and Eubanks can be that I think come playoff time that’s the maximized version of them that can provide energy kind of wake the team up in a sense and just you know play that physical defense where if you’re burning fouls between those two like it doesn’t matter like they’re

There for a very specific reason for 10 to 12 minutes stretch like throughout the game and just kind of burn through those those fouls like I said and yeah just Embrace that role to me that’s the the role of chaos and and just giving it your all for those stretches is what

They should be doing so I think uh you know kogi just came back so obviously it’s a little bit different they’re going to try to probably use him in a little bit here but um I still think whether you like him or not Eubanks is going to play a factor in the playoffs

And they’re going to need him to especially with nk’s foul trouble and all that so uh they’re they’re going to need to figure out how to maximize him as much as they can without playing him too much essentially so it’s it’s kind of a fine line they have to balance yeah

I think the questions I have going forward are does aogi break in make this a 10-man rotation or or does he kind of look more like a specialist and I think that’s directly connected to how much Beal can continue to be impactful as a as a on ball Defender and who they match

Up with too also for sure come postseason time yeah yeah and then I think O’Neal and Gordon their minutes will fluctuate and they’ll just take each other’s minutes based on who has it going on offense because they both have shown themselves to be pretty streaky so I think those are the two

Things to watch going forward but let’s look a little bit forward the rest of this road trip and a little bit into the playoffs with really only a few weeks to go and very much time to start thinking about who the Suns might play we’ll get into all that

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Difficult we have this Spurs game to see on on Monday but not expecting that to be too crazy you know I I guess if the one thing would be if Victor wanyama is able to have a little bit more of an impact maybe if the game’s closer he can

Play a little more but the Spurs look pretty pathetic on Saturday I I think the sun should be able to handle them beyond that Denver Oklahoma City new orans which one excites you the most that is that is a murderer row but also three games that I think Suns fin should

Be excited for these are the tests that you need heading into the postseason yeah I think just rewinding to the Spurs it’s tough even they are the Spurs I understand it’s tough in the NBA to beat the same team on consecutive nights uh it doesn’t matter who you’re

Playing so I think especially with the weird can we just talk about real quick how they had the the double home stand and now the double away stand against them like it’s just I don’t like that weird schedule for sure yeah um yeah looking ahead like ahead to these next

Few matchups I think the the Oklahoma City Thunder like the Denver one’s obvious one that I think a lot of people are going to pick but I think OKC is the one that I’m looking looking forward to the most because that’s a potential matchup in the playoffs for them and I

Think that’s uh in the first round it could happen you never know but um to me they’re the team that I think presents the most unique matchups just for for from both teams like the OKC really struggles a rebound um that’s something the Suns I think could take advantage of

Against him but on the same time staying in front of Shay is going to be almost impossible for the Suns team so there there’s some really like unique battles within the battle so that I would look forward to in that matchup the Denver one’s obviously going to be uh

Interesting just you know both those being on the road and then the Pelicans are you know a game and a half in front of Phoenix right now so they’re they’re fighting to to stay out of the play in too so I think just with how loaded the West is right now just everyone

Essentially trying to get out of the play in like that that’s going to be a big one so um all three are massive But first you got to take care of business against the Spurs and uh just hope you can come out of that little three- game

Stretch still in the six seed at least yeah I think I would have to agree the Thunder game just being the how how much the Thunder have dominated them I may sneeze but I’m going to power through um to me the Thunder thing like it’s easy to focus

On Shay but I agree with you nobody can really guard guard him you have to have a point of attack Defender who can make him work it’s kind of like Luca but more Dynamic I guess and then really it’s your team defense that has to hold up

Can you rotate can you help can you take away the rim on the drives and not allow him to get comfortable have some hands and some Limbs and some bodies in his way as he’s driving to the basket as he’s working in isolation and then be ready when he sprays it out

To contest recover rotate and basically the the goal should be never allow them to get any easy shots the point is Shay’s going to make hard shots their three-point Shooters can make contested threes whatever but I want to see that game be a real test of the sun’s

Collective team defense and then if if they can have a huge offensive Knight I think they you know they can beat the Thunder that’s not some sort of like Kryptonite but they give them trouble for sure and be a big emotional yeah exactly I if they don’t have

The problem is they don’t even have the guy necessarily to make it hard unless aogi is able to be out there for long periods of time which is not usually the case because of his offense so maybe it just is the case like they don’t have

Even that and it kind of falls apart from there but I believe they can beat them so it would be a big emotional uh lift to prove to yourself I think if you’re in that son’s locker room that like hey this these young guns aren’t just like you know going to kill

Us forever but all right so agreed and Ingram’s out probably in that Pelicans game so that that helps but let’s look at the playoffs a little bit because these teams are obviously and not just this rest of this road trip but the rest of the schedule period is going to be one

Playoff potential playoff preview after the next because the standings are so influx and all these teams are going to be very good so the suns are currently sitting in six Brandon that would mean that they avoid the play in game but they are only a half game up on the

Kings because they’ve played one more game than the Kings so that doesn’t really count they have one more game against the Kings so that’ll be huge the Mavericks are also right there tied with Sacramento a half game behind Phoenix so very very very close I guess how much does the playin

Worry you not like we get the play in is scary but just thinking about what we know about this Sun’s team how do you think they would handle that yeah it’s just I don’t know I I think they’re built for it but at the same time it’s

It’s like it’s one game and Anything could happen and potentially two games depending on where where they would end up but um it it definitely scares me I think every team should be avoiding it like like the plague like honestly I think the six seed is kind of the the

Gold mine right now with Minnesota sitting there at the the three seed and you know the uncertainty of cat like that’s that’s a team I think they’re still gonna be a tough team and Cat could be back for that we just don’t know what what percentage he’s going to

Be healthwise but uh I think everyone Sacramento and Dallas are are right there you know the Pelicans are a couple losses away from being in danger of sliding down into the playin as well so it’s just it’s really uh to me four teams just trying to just play a game in

Musical chairs and avoid that that dreaded one game and like the teams are all so talented at that stage too it’s not like you get in the play and it’s like a sure thing like uh there’s it’s going to be a fight and those teams the ERS and warriors despite their struggles

This year they still have Superstars they still have you know games it could be a r ball game like you just don’t know what’s going to happen in those games so I just I want to avoid that as as much as possible it’s not about being scared of those teams it’s just avoid

Putting yourself in that situation get the guaranteed series um you know the the five seed would would be nice too but then you have the Clippers waiting there so it’s that’s a tough matchup too so to me it’s like you can’t get too cute and try to aim for a six seed and

Then all of a sudden you Dro into seven so just win as many games as you can avoid the plan uh Captain Obvious here but to me it’s it’s going to be chaos and I’m I’m here for it yeah the thing I will say is I believe

It’s I don’t know if a team has never won I that can’t be true we’ve seen upsets in the playin but overall more often than not I think the majority of the upsets we’ve seen have been eight taking down seven or 10 Tak taking down nine we have rarely if ever

Seen a nine or a 10 team make the playoffs even in this era I’m sure I’m forgetting one maybe there has been one I’m not saying never but if you look at the the history of this it tends to work out maybe you dropped down from seven

And then now you’re eight because you lose the first one or whatever but or yeah again 10 surprises and gets to play in that second game even though they were on the road and the lower seed so I tend to just kind of trust that that would continue but you’re right whether

It’s Luca LeBron and AD or I guess we should say Luca and Kyrie because they’ve been both healthy and playing well for a while now or Steph and and that group it’s just a little bit different than like in the East where it’s the Hornets or the Bulls or

Something and so that’s why comparing it to the past is because of this year’s crop it feels so different to me is in the play even last year in the west right it was like New Orleans and the Thunder and Minnesota now it’s it’s it’s really the the cream of the crop so

Definitely those caveats should be should be given uh I also don’t think it’s fun to play against the kings in in Sacramento even if that’s the team you might pick out of these four options if you’re the Suns like that that road environment is going to be pretty crazy

So there’s really not like an awesome option here I guess unless you were to say uh New Orleans somehow fell that team doesn’t have an awesome home environment they’re not the most trustworthy even though they’ve been playing awesome lately I could see that being maybe a good one but that’s unlikely so agreed

You want to avoid it I just wanted to check in see where we both were I would favor the Suns to come out of it it sounds like you would too but it would be a disappointment I think after even after the the season they’ve had to have this much talent and strong

Stretches of play throughout the season to end up having to kind of Fight for Your Life the suns are better than the teams in the play in I think you would have to say outside of maybe Dallas who have made some improvements and now have a healthy Kyrie I think you would say

The suns are better than the Kings they’re better than the Lakers they’re better than the Warriors and you don’t want to have to be fighting for your life against those teams but any final thoughts there no I think you pretty much cover it just avoid the play in if

If you get there make sure you you end it in one game and just solidify your spot because you it’s just it’s taxing if you have to play two games where you’re just going all out right before you enter a series that’s another thing yes you could build some chemistry

Continuity whatever in in High Press environments that could carry over with positive momentum into that next series but at the same time that also leads it more injury risk more minutes uh just avoid it let’s just let’s just get the you know five or six seed and and secure

That that seven game series please thank you 100% that will wrap us up check out Brandon’s writing over at bright side of the sun I will have a watch back for you from one of these Spurs games over at the lockon Suns Insider feed you can sign up there at join sub.com lockon

Suns or click the link in the show description below on YouTube or your audio platform of choice back tomorrow with another episode recapping Spurs Suns part two enjoy the Monday and I will catch you guys later on

Bradley Beal is settling in as a playmaker and defender for the Phoenix Suns as the NBA season comes to a close.

Brendon Kleen of @justbasketballfans is joined by Brandon Dueñas of Bright Side of the Sun to break down Beal’s evolution, how the bench has come together since the All-Star break, and what to expect the rest of the Suns’ road trip.

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