The Phoenix Suns blew out the Sacramento Kings by 29 points opening night in a game that looked like was played by a completely different team than last year.
Forget the Phoenix Suns you saw play last year, the Valley Boyz are here and they are here to win.
The team on the court was Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings was unrecognizable from the squad that limped through last season. That is partly because they only have five returning players this year, but it was largely because of how they played.
Even though they trailed much of the first half, it never looked as if the team was playing poorly. In fact, their deficit was mostly due to some missed open shots from behind the arc and Buddy Hield going on fire à la NBA Jam.
Once shooting regressed to the mean in the second half, the quality (and fun!) style of play of these new Phoenix Suns yielded an opening night blowout of the formidable Sacramento Kings.
Here are 9 ways this year’s group of Valley Boyz are the polar opposites of last year’s Suns team.
8. The ball moved like it was in a pinball machine
This team seems to have embraced Head Coach Monty Williams‘ 0.5 system where they make a quick decision to either shoot, pass, or drive within a half second of catching the ball.
Every player made an active effort to abide by this line of thinking and it led to unbelievable ball movement. On top of that, because everyone knew a pass might be coming quickly, it led to movement off the ball.
Rim runs, cuts, and back doors were there for the taking, and with the 0.5 system mentality, cutters found the ball in their hands often for an easy two points.
At times, it looked more like a pinball machine than a basketball game. Incredibly fun to watch.
7. Rubio played like a point god
After Ricky Rubio won the FIBA MVP award, the hype surrounding the Phoenix Suns’ first real point guard in years was at an all time fever pitch. There was seemingly no way he could live up to the lofty expectations Suns fans placed on him.
Well, in game one, he did.
His reputation as a floor general is well established, but seeing it play out in this new system gave Suns fans chills.
He didn’t make a 3-pointer and had a few careless turnovers late in the game, but those can be easily overlooked as the Spanish veteran poured in 11 point and 11 assists.
But his stat line does not tell the tale of his command of the floor.
His court leadership was evident from the opening tip, and it is going to be a joy watching this team be led by the most competent point guard the team has had since Steve Nash.
6. They didn’t even need Booker’s scoring
There were so many times last year where players just passed the ball to Devin Booker and got out of the way. That will not be the case this year and there is no one happier about that fact than Booker himself.
The Suns were up 21 in the third quarter and Booker only had 13 points. He ended up with 22, but that was largely due to a few knockout blows in the fourth when the game well in control.
He did, however, have 10 early assists, showing that even though he wasn’t scoring, he was consistently making the right play.
Booker might take a dip in scoring average and the Suns could still win a lot more games. They’ll take that.
5. Kelly Oubre Jr. is the team’s spirit animal
If I could bottle up Kelly Oubre Jr.’s energy, swag, and overall demeanor into an injectable medication, it would be the greatest selling drug in the world. I would live like Pablo Escobar from its profits.
Luckily for the Phoenix Suns, a lot of that energy is transferable via on-court diffusion. The team clearly fed off the enthusiasm he brought to the court, which manifested through a slow-mo hype jump, an amazing pre-game dance circle/mosh pit, aggressive drives to the rim, and intense defense.
At one point, he pumped out a few push-ups during a dead ball, presumably because he had spare energy he needed to burn off.
More than his 21 point and 9 rebounds, Oubre brought joy to this team in game one, and like a stomach virus, everyone around him caught it.
4. Ayton looked extra bouncy
It is a difficult metric to quantify from simply watching the game, but Deandre Ayton looks extra bouncy this year. There has been a lot of talk surrounding his offseason workouts, and they seem to have worked.
The big man looked more spry for this 7’1″ frame than he did much of last year, where he sometimes seemed like he was jumping out of quicksand.
He still needs to develop a little more aggression, as he didn’t get to the free throw line once, but that is a petty complaint after a smooth 18 point and 10 rebound night.
On a side note, I’m convinced Rubio is going to throw a pass to Ayton at some point this season where Ayton doesn’t realize he is open and the ball is going to bounce off his face.
3. Oh, by the way, the defense was insanely improved
13 steals. Count ’em. 13. And nine blocks!
After Buddy Hield had his NBA Jam on-fire streak in the first half, Devin Booker locked him down in half two. He forced Hield to shoot extremely difficult shots, most of which did not go in.
But while Booker deserves praise for his individual effort on Hield, the whole team was zeroed in defensively much of the game.
It wasn’t just the 13 steals that were impressive, it was how they came. There were a few of those where defender jumped in front of a passing lane, but many of those were on ball steals, where the King was either holding the ball or dribbling in place and a player on the Suns just took it away.
Four of those times, that player was Ricky Rubio. While some worried the speed of De’Aaron Fox might trip up the 28-year-old Spaniard, Rubio excelled on the defensive end, always getting in the right position, hustling, and always having active hands.
Couple that with extremely competent rim protection from Ayton, who had four blocks, scoring on this team is going to require aforementioned NBA Jam on-fire stretches from Suns’ opponents.
2. The bench is deeper than the ocean
Monty Williams stated he wanted to keep a 10-man rotation, which he did in game one, but that was only because Ty Jerome (ankle) and Cameron Johnson (calf) sat out with injuries. He is going to have a hard time sticking to only 10 men when he has a full complement of players.
Jevon Carter led the way off the bench with 11 points, knocking down both open and step-back 3-pointers. He then picked up aggressive, full court defense, frustrating many Kings’ players.
He also wore one black shoe and one white shoe, which bested Kelly Oubre’s single leg warmer as the best fashion trend of the game.
Tack on a few good shots from Tyler Johnson, a couple of quality garbage buckets from Frank Kaminsky, and Mikal Bridges turning defense into offense a time or two, and the bench finished with 45 points, accounting for 34% of the team’s total scoring.
It is just another example of a trait that simply makes this team fun to watch.
1. Players looked like they had fun
Whether it was Frank Kaminsky holding up three-goggles, Booker joking on the bench about Mikal Bridge’s jump ball technique, or the Kelly Oubre-led pregame mosh, this team looks like they are genuinely enjoying each other’s company.
Even small stuff like every player aggressively rushing to help up a teammate on the ground shows great chemistry.
Usually when pundits talk about team chemistry, they are referring to knowing how to play well together on the court, but like any family that actually gets along, it is so much more than that.
They have to be able to make fun of each other, celebrate with each other, and be happy for each other’s success.
The latter was evident with Booker’s excitement from the bench when his teammates were scoring, while he only 13 himself at the time.
The Suns break every huddle with, “1-2-3 Family!” and it shows.
When the players have fun, that joy ekes into the stands and through the TV screens to the fans.
If the rest of the season is anything like game one, then get excited, Suns fans. It is going to be a memorable year.