Five encouraging signs from the Phoenix Suns’ first loss of the year

Tenacity and scrappiness for the win

Kelly Oubre Jr. led the team in energy because of course he did. There were several 50-50 balls in the first half and the Phoenix Suns seemingly got all of them, with Oubre the most likely culprit to come out of the pack with the rock.

82 games is a long, grueling season, but if the Suns can keep up this level of tenacity throughout all of them, they will wind up with a ton of extra possessions and easy baskets.

The good thing about hustle plays is that they travel. On a night where the 3-point shot wasn’t finding its way to the bottom of the net, stealing points by picking up every loose ball adds up.

It all stems from Head Coach Monty Williams‘ mantra about competition. He has pushed his team to compete day in and day out in practice, and through the first two games, it has translated to on-the-court play.

There is no reason to think it won’t hold up all year long.