Phoenix Suns: 5 Lessons From Preseason Opener

2. Knight And Bledsoe Bring Versatility

Knight and Bledsoe didn’t really play together long enough for us to get a good look at how the Suns will use them together this season. Of course, this is something we’ve been saying since last year after Knight’s ankle injury sidelined him for all but 11 games.

While it’s no surprise that no team wants to tip its hand as to what its offensive sets will look like in the regular season, one thing was obvious: Hornacek will have options off the bench, and it starts with backcourt depth.

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It doesn’t hurt that Bledsoe (13 points, four assists, four steals) is so darn well-rounded. But Bledsoe and Knight’s ability to operate with the ball in their hands gives Hornacek an added layer of versatility, especially with so many backup shooting guards waiting to come off the bench.

“Again, there are three guys behind Brandon at that spot, so we might try to mix them around,” Hornacek said. “They still should get some time when Brandon goes strictly to the 1 and Bledsoe is resting.”

When that happened last night, we got a reminder that Knight is more than capable of being a playmaker, just as he can be a spot-up shooter. Knight made four of his eight three-point attempts with some being out of the pick-and-roll and some being spot-up shots, and he also had two assists.

“It’s still playing basketball,” Knight said. “My position my whole career has been on the ball point guard, but for me it’s just about making the right play.”

When both of these players get minutes and their time on the court is staggered, their ability to play either guard position will help Hornacek go with the player (Booker, Weems or Goodwin) he feels is contributing the most on a given night.

Next: No. 1