Suns Analysis: Breaking Down Phoenix’s Recent Problems On Offense
Dry Spells
Part of the recent offensive woes has to do with new players getting adjusted and old players taking on different roles. Part of it has to do with head coach Jeff Hornacek struggling to find a rotation that works. But most of it has to do with the simple fact that for long stretches of games, the Suns have shot themselves in the foot by not being able to put the ball in the basket.
That shot in the foot is pretty much the only shot that’s finding its target these days.
We’ve seen this narrative play out on a grand scale numerous times in the past few weeks. Coming off that big win against the Thunder, the Suns scored a franchise record low 24 points in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs. High school teams score more than that in a first half. Phoenix dropped a complete dud, shooting 18.6 percent from the floor en route to a meager 74-point outing.
But it was only one fluke performance, right? The next few games did little to reassure anyone the offense is still okay.
In the second quarter against Miami, the Suns went through not one, not two, but THREE separate two-minute dry spells where they failed to score a single point. Against the Magic, Phoenix failed to score for a three-minute stretch in the first quarter, and then three separate two-minute droughts in the second.
In Brooklyn, the Suns started the game 0-for-21 from three-point range before finishing the game by going 3-for-5. They failed to register a single point in a four-minute stretch in the first quarter and a three-minute stretch in the third. The game was living proof why the world needs the Nets to miss the playoffs, but if it weren’t for a 16-1 spurt to close regulation, the Suns would’ve lost to a terrible team.
Against a surging team like the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Suns needed to exploit a defense that’s only become passable since adding Timofey Mozgov. Unfortunately, the Suns tallied 13 points and 15 points in the second and third quarters en route to a 79-point outing. Even Gerald Green’s first highlight dunk in ages didn’t make it better.
After building an 18-13 lead against the Cavs, the Suns missed 36 of their next 42 shots and found themselves trailing by 29. This included a seven-minute stretch(!!!) without a single point in the second quarter.
There isn’t a single team in the NBA that can afford to be held scoreless for seven minutes, but that holds especially true for a team that’s incapable of stymying the bleeding by getting stops on defense.
With the Suns shooting 43.5 percent as a team since the break, guys like Knight (36.3 percent), Alex Len (42.6 percent) and Marcus Morris (41.3 percent) need to find their touch again. No offense to P.J. Tucker, but the fact that his 48 percent shooting leads Phoenix’s starters since All-Star Weekend shows just how badly this team needs to start making shots again.
Next: Phoenix Suns: 5 Reasons To Stop Being Depressed