Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Scouts in Sports Illustrated RIPPED the Phoenix Suns

By Adam Maynes

PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 25: Eric Bledsoe #2, Josh Jackson #20, Head Coach Earl Watson, and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns pose for a portrait at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 25: Eric Bledsoe #2, Josh Jackson #20, Head Coach Earl Watson, and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns pose for a portrait at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Suns don’t have an exciting lineup

PHOENIX, AZ – SEPTEMBER 25: Devin Booker #1, TJ Warren #12, and Tyler Ulis #8 of the Phoenix Suns pose for a portrait at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ – SEPTEMBER 25: Devin Booker #1, TJ Warren #12, and Tyler Ulis #8 of the Phoenix Suns pose for a portrait at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) /

"It’s hard to put together one single five-man lineup that gets you excited, mostly because their frontcourt is so thin. They can’t stop anyone. . . ."

Don’t get me wrong, there really is not a single five-man lineup that gets Suns fans all that excited (although a lineup of Booker, Jackson, Warren, Bender, and either Chriss/Len does legitimately interest me). But again, this team isn’t built to win now, they are trying to tank, so other than the young players, who are they supposed to run out there at any given time?

Now defensively, that is another problem. This team is terrible  defensively. Not only did they allow the most points per game to an opponent in the league last season with 113.3, but it was also the franchise’s worst points allowed season in 30 years. Then so far in the 2017 preseason Phoenix is allowing 114.25 as well.

One can point to individual players and say that “Devin Booker can’t guard anyone” or Marquese Chriss doesn’t have the mindset of a lockdown defender,” and so forth. But there are two other points as to why the Suns don’t play good defense: they are very young overall which almost universally means that you can not expect young teams such as the Suns to play a lot of good/great D. An argument too can be made that the system is faulty. You would expect that even with a young team they wouldn’t allow over 113 points per game, and yet they do.

There is no getting around the accuracy of that particular critique though: their defense is terrible.

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