1. What has gone wrong in the Suns’ past two losses?
Kevin Zimmerman: They’re still trying to find themselves. That’s fine and like the situation with LeBron James in Cleveland, these things take time. But it’s disappointing to see the offensive woes become so linked to the defense. When the Suns aren’t scoring, games have snowballed on them on the defensive end as well.
Scott Chasen: While the two losses were somewhat different, there was a common thread between them: Three point shooting. In both games the Suns allowed their opponents to shoot above 43% from the three-point line, while shooting a combined 32% themselves. The Suns’ perimeter play absolutely needs to improve, especially if they’re going to continue to play small.
Ryan Weisert: Quarter let downs. The Suns have had trouble staying focused as a team for 48 minutes. Against Charlotte, they blew a 14-point lead in the 2nd quarter, and against the Clippers, they gave up an abysmal 42 points in the 3rd.
Gavin Schall:: An over reliance on the bench, specifically the backcourt depth. Over the last four games Isaiah Thomas and Gerald Green have combined to average 36 points per game. The rest of the team has been incredibly inconsistent. The defense is also to blame. Over those same four games they’ve allowed at least 103 points in three of them.
Eric Saar: One problem is their essential defensive intensity comes and goes in spurts. It needs to become more consistent. Their offense comes pretty naturally, though they need to end isolation plays from everyone, but the four primary guards.