Sun(day) On A Monday Suns Column: Training Camp Success
By Spencer Hann
Well that was fun.
With the Phoenix Suns’ first preseason game tipping off on Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings at Talking Stick Resort Arena, the book will officially be closed on their offseason and training camp.
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Fortunately, their experiences over these past couple months could not have been much better.
“This is one of the best teams I have been on in camp,” P.J. Tucker said after the Suns’ morning practice session in Flagstaff on Friday. “The camp this year was really good. This year has just been another level because of our personnel, we are super talented but we also play together.”
Three Takeaways From Training Camp
1. Follow The Leader
As has been well-documented, the Suns had no leaders in the locker room last season. This year? They may actually have too many (if that’s an actual thing). Tyson Chandler, Brandon Knight, Eric Bledsoe, P.J. Tucker and Ronnie Price all seem dead set on finally bringing intensity and accountability to the Suns organization on a daily basis.
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I have never heard two players talk more trash to each other than Tyson Chandler and P.J. Tucker during a Friday afternoon scrimmage session. Playing on separate teams, Chandler and Tucker galvanized their teammates and upped the ante every minute it seemed like.
The seven-footer ended up with the final say in their verbal battle, altering a potential game-winning layup by Tucker and forcing his shot to miss the rim completely. “Coach will learn his lesson about running plays on me in the last possession,” Chandler said.
On the perimeter, the pesky Price played incredibly tight in-your-face style defense every time the Suns scrimmaged, to go along with a constant stream of communication to his teammates. “[The competitiveness] starts with a guy like Ronnie Price,” head coach Jeff Hornacek said. “He comes out and busts his tail every play, picks guys up, gets active, the other guys feed off that.”
Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, if there was ever any doubt, proved they are the most talented players on this team during camp and consistently encouraged teammates while taking control of the offense every time down the court. “[Bledsoe] has to be one of the most explosive point guards in this league,” Chandler said.
2. The Suns Could Have A Top 10 Defense
Yes, it could — and quite honestly, should — happen. However, all my readers have every right to call me crazy if (when?) this statement backfires and the Suns are giving up 105 points a night by mid-December.
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But I just can’t see that happening this year. Watching this team work together, communicate and feeling the vibe that has been exuberating from the Suns organization since Media Day, you can tell there is a genuine feeling of belief and great chemistry between the players.
“In my 15 years, this has been one of my best camps, especially bonding and just coming together,” Chandler said.
This is a team that is putting the emphasis on playing hard for the guy next to you, not the name on the back of your jersey. Step one in the list of ingredients for a successful defense.
“I’ve been saying this since I got here, we have a great group of guys who really like each other and can actually be teammates,” Sonny Weems said. “We really like being around each other and have built great chemistry.”
Step two (which may seem a little obvious): Have good defensive players. Although the stats haven’t shown it over the past couple seasons, Phoenix has a great core of defensive players that can take them to an elite level.
Bledsoe and Knight really got after it in camp and have shown in the past their abilities to harass opposing players on the perimeter. P.J Tucker’s pedigree and experience of consistently guarding, and asking to guard, the Kevin Durants and LeBron James of the world speak for itself.
Tyson Chandler steps in as the floor general and anchor of an extremely loud and talkative defense, while demanding the same level of defensive effort and intensity from his teammates.
“The communication is up, and right now we are looking good,” Tucker said.
Of course, only time will tell, but from what I have seen so far, this defense looks very improved.
3. Mature Morris
Whether Markieff Morris is simply putting on a professional front while the Suns seek out potential trades behind the scenes or if he truly wants to be in Phoenix is still unknown.
However, there is one undeniable observation you can make when watching him in camp: The Kansas alum is not going to be a problem for the Suns.
Keef played hard and showed good communication with his teammates, especially during the Suns’ Friday afternoon scrimmage (insert reference to the Tyson Chandler effect here). He has refused to say anything politically incorrect to the media and frankly, the media doesn’t seem to be very interested in talking to him about his feelings towards the Suns anymore.
Phoenix has a starting power forward who should be good for around 15 points and seven rebounds a game, who won’t bad mouth the organization and who will play nice with his teammates. That’s a much better situation than many thought possible after this past offseason.
Now it’s a matter of the fans accepting him back…
Next: 5 Things You May Have Missed From Suns Media Day