The Phoenix Suns kicked off their 2015 NBA Summer League action with an 86-77 win over the Washington Wizards Saturday in Las Vegas. Led by the team’s prominent young players, the Summer Suns looked pretty impressive early on and led for most of the game to move to 1-0.
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Though Phoenix only shot 4-for-18 from three-point range as a team (22.2 percent), they held the Wizards to 3-of-22 shooting from deep (13.6 percent) and 40.8 percent shooting overall.
Here’s a look at the standout performers and highlight plays from today’s action:
T.J. Warren — Warren is the perfect player for Summer League. He thrilled Suns fans last year with his ability to rack up easy points in a hurry and today was no different, finishing with 20 points on an efficient 8-of-15 shooting. From floaters to switching the ball from hand to hand in mid-flight, Washington had no answer for him once he beat his man off the dribble.
Warren was also pretty impressive on the defensive end, racking up three early steals and adding a block to his final stat line. Given the way he contested Kelly Oubre Jr.’s shots, the Suns probably liked the defensive improvement they’re seeing so far from this breakout candidate.
Another look at that steal and dunk by Mr. Buckets TJ Warren. #SummerSuns pic.twitter.com/SRm0Sx29P6
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 11, 2015
Archie Goodwin — Goodwin got off to a rough start, but thanks to a strong third quarter, he finished with a game-high 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Though he only converted one of his four three-point attempts and looked uncertain about whether to attack the basket or settle for the jump shot the defense was giving him at times, Goodwin got to the line 11 times and made nine of his free throws.
It wasn’t the most convincing performance from Goodwin, who got beat off the dribble by Oubre quite a few times. In fact, Oubre pretty much owned him all game, bothering him with his length and on-ball pressure to force Goodwin into three turnovers and a few bad shots. But Goodwin regrouped and scored pretty efficiently despite his early struggles.
Alex Len — Alex Len is up to 260 pounds and boy, did it show against Summer League competition. Len finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, looking thoroughly impressive after a shaky start that saw him rack up four fouls in his first three minutes.
On one end of the floor, Len was a frequent alley-oop target who towered over his competition and made seven of his 14 shot attempts. He was moving the opposition out of the way with his newfound strength and was rolling to the rim pretty well. On the other end, he did a pretty good job of staying vertical after that early fouling bonanza. In fact, Len didn’t have a single foul after those first three minutes.
Devin Booker — In rookie Devin Booker’s first official game for the Suns, fans were treated to an all-around solid opening performance. Though he only went 4-for-11 from the field and missed all four of his three-point attempts, Booker looked confident with his shot and given that sweet stroke of his, his underwhelming shooting numbers likely just amounted to rookie jitters.
Booker still finished with 12 points and four rebounds, including one bucket off the dribble that served as the dagger for the Suns. He held his own defensively, he didn’t look hesitant off the dribble and he got quite a few quality looks from deep. Once those start falling, Phoenix will really be in business.
That @DevinBook jumper. pic.twitter.com/2i41eAxnc8
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 11, 2015
Mickey McConnell — McConnell’s scoring line is pretty unimpressive. His one three-pointer served as his scoring total and he went 1-for-3 from the floor. But he also had six assists, three rebounds and looked like the best point guard on the floor for the Summer Suns.
McConnell didn’t commit a single turnover and had a couple of smooth behind-the-back passes that opened some eyeballs. If he can continue to play like this, here’s hoping the Suns extend this local product a training camp invite.
McConnell to @alexlen for the jam! #SummerSuns pic.twitter.com/9D2O10SC50
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 11, 2015
Next: Top 5 Suns Players To Watch In NBA Summer League