9 observations from the Phoenix Suns’ open practice
New mobile ticketing is going to be a disaster
This year, the Phoenix Suns are going fully digital with their ticketing. If the open practice was any indication, this technological evolution is going to frustrate the crap out of people.
For some reason, tickets were still required for this free event, so that alone caused confusion. But I witnessed several fans get all the way to the gate only to realize they had to get the ticket on their phone.
One fan exclaimed, “Ugh! I don’t know how to do all that!” and many others around her expressed similar feelings.
The Phoenix Suns staff had a table set up to help folks through this, but look for this to annoy fans and potentially cause entry delays until everyone gets used to it.
There was lots of dancing
Before the players took the court, there were 30 minutes of fan entertainment that featured lots of dancing. The Solar Squad danced, the dance team danced, and then a handful of 10-year-old boys danced for a chance to win Suns swag.
It didn’t stop there.
The players wrapped up the practice with a rookie dance off. Don’t expect to see these guys on Dancing with the Stars anytime soon. Poor Cameron Johnson looked like he had never heard music before and put on a performance that earned a chorus of friendly boos.
In case you were eagerly wondering, Jalen Lecque won it.
Here is the video of #Suns rookie Cam Johnson getting booed off the floor for his lack of dance moves at open practice today.
— Valley of the Suns (@ValleyoftheSuns) October 7, 2019
🕺🕺🕺 #RisePHX pic.twitter.com/poRdM8utpi
Player intros got fans hyped
The PA announcer introduced the team one by one out of the tunnel, but it wasn’t a player that received the loudest pop from the crowd.
Head Coach Monty Williams got fans on their feet and screaming more than anyone wearing a jersey. He waved, but surprisingly, never addressed the crowd.
The other big name newcomer, Ricky Rubio, got the second biggest ovation of the afternoon. The enthusiasm surrounding the Rubio and Monty eras is palpable.
The many new faces of this roster turnover, however, had some fans wondering who many of these players were. I sat next to an elderly season ticket holder who expressed frustration that she didn’t know many of the newcomers.
Not all fans keep up with all of the offseason transactions.
Everyone talks about the fact it takes time for players to gain familiarity with each other on the court, but the same thing can be said about their familiarity with the fans.