5 reasons the Phoenix Suns’ 2018 and 2019 opening nights are totally different
By Adam Maynes
Ricky Rubio vs Isaiah Canaan
If you didn’t see the headline, would you have remember that Isaiah Canaan was the opening night starting point guard last season?
That his career averages prior to that game were 8.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists?
Yes, he was a fun little fire cracker, but he is not a starting point guard in the NBA.
In fact, he’s not even on an NBA roster right now.
The Phoenix Suns did not win game one of the 2018-19 regular season because of Isaiah Canaan, they won game one despite him. Not that that one individual game wasn’t nice (in 33:34 he had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists), but he was never going to be a sustainable starting point guard.
He is fun, but not that good.
Last night the Phoenix Suns won because of Ricky Rubio.
Finishing with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists, he is a legitimate starting point guard in the NBA, and the first true point guard the franchise has employed since Goran Dragic.
In fact, this team is going to win a number of games this season because of Rubio.
He is going to be the catalyst of a solid, well-rounded and smooth offense that is going to be difficult for opponents to stop when it is running on full cylinders.
How many wins? Who knows just yet. However, Canaan only helped his team win four of 19 played, and three of 16 started.
If the team wins 30 games this season, Rubio will have been a strong reason why.
If they win 40, the same.
Next. The Phoenix Suns will draft LaMelo Ball (according to one very early Mock Draft). dark
Isaiah Canaan’s opening night last season was, much like Trevor Ariza, very much a mirage.
Ricky Rubio’s first game, much like Kelly Oubre’s, very much, was not.