Time: 7 p.m. MST
TV: FSA
Christmas Day is here.
Obviously, it isn’t the actual Christmas Day, but it’s close enough for the Phoenix Suns fan. That’s because tonight is the beginning of a new season of Suns basketball as they open up the 2014-15 campaign against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Suns enter the season with playoff expectations after coming off a 48-win season as they bring back the majority of that same roster. On the flip side, the Lakers begin the season with big questions: Can they even be competitive? Last night’s opener against Houston did nothing to help answer that question; it got worse when first round pick Julius Randle broke his right leg late in the game and had to be carted off in a stretcher. It is an injury that is expected to keep Randle, the team’s only young talent, out for the year.
Even though this Kobe Bryant Lakers team isn’t expected to be as competitive as past teams, it doesn’t mean Suns coach Jeff Hornacek is overlooking the matchup.
“It’s always fun to play the Lakers, no matter who is out there,” Hornacek said. “The mystique and history of the Lakers, any time you play one of those teams — Lakers, Celtics, Bulls — it’s something special.
“They have a group of veteran guys that if you fall asleep on they will take it to you. Our biggest focus is putting our focus out for all 48 minutes.”
Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Lin and Ed Davis are some of the veteran pieces the Lakers signed in the offseason to try and improve a team that went 27-55 last year. Of course, Bryant is also back from missing 75 games and the team will always be a threat as long as he is in the lineup. Last night Bryant scored 19 points on 6-17 shooting in 29 minutes in the Lakers’ 108-90 loss to the Rockets.
While the Lakers come into Phoenix with negativity and uncertainty surrounding this year’s team, the Suns begin their season with a fresh scent of optimism. The thought among players after winning 48 games is that they can be even better this year.
“Last year everybody played great,” Eric Bledsoe said. “Hopefully we can up our intensity and focus a little more and then we will be fine.”
The notable differences from last years team is the additions of Isaiah Thomas, Anthony Tolliver, and T.J. Warren with a subtraction of Channing Frye. This year, Hornacek wants the Suns to play at an even faster pace than last year and he believes he has the team and talent to do it successfully.
After six months of lingering on the sting from missing the playoffs by one game, the Suns can finally put that in the rear-view mirror tonight with the beginning of the new season.
Let’s take a look at a few things to watch for tonight.
Stop Kobe
That was the general consensus among Suns players at practice the last few days. The job will be tougher to do with defensive stopper P.J. Tucker suspended for the first three games of the year, which will leave that task to Marcus Morris for tonight. Bryant will shoot the ball and is still able to go for 30 on any given night despite his age and recent injury history. If the Suns limit Bryant, it takes away much of the Lakers offense.
“Being really basic,” Marcus Morris said on how he will defend Bryant. “It’s Kobe Bryant, he will make tough shots, as long as it’s not easy shots. That is what I am basing my game on, staying down on the pump fakes and making it hard for him.
“Him being who he is, I know he didn’t show me everything (in the preseason game between Phoenix and Los Angeles). I am going to go home and focus in on the game (last night) and try my best to keep him contained.”
Rebounding remains the Suns’ issue
It’s the one area where the Lakers may have an advantage over the Suns, though that possible advantage takes a hit with the loss of Randle. Jordan Hill and Boozer provide the Lakers with a big and physical front that could make it tough on Miles Plumlee and Markieff Morris.
“They are a bigger team than we are so the key is rebounding,” Goran Dragic said. “When we get rebounds we have to fly and try to score some transition points.
“If you do that then we will be good shape. Of course, the main thing our defense is going to be solid. If we do those two things, defense and rebounding, we will be good.”
For what its worth, the Rockets out-rebounded the Lakers 47-36 last night with Boozer and Hill combining for 17. Hill grabbed 10 himself in just 23 minutes of play.
Knocking down threes is the key
This game could be over early if the Suns come out and shoot lights out from the perimeter. In their preseason game against the Lakers last Tuesday, they only hit 11 off 33 three point shots, which was a reason the game went into overtime. Hit a few more threes and the Suns win that game in regulation.
Warren update
Hornacek on Warren: “We are trying to keep him conditioned, he will get out there and use that thumb in another week or so,” Hornacek said on the status of the rookie’s thumb. “We don’t want him to catch the ball and re-aggravate it. In the scenario we are in (Tucker’s suspension) it would’ve been nice to have him because he would’ve got some playing time.”