Phoenix Suns: 3 Takeaways From Opening Night Loss to Denver Nuggets

The Phoenix Suns Looked Rusty in their Season Opener

Last year, the Suns turned over the ball over 18 times during just seven games. But last night against the Nuggets, they reached that tally, clearly illustrating some clunkiness as a team looking to find their groove.

Built up around the same starting five, and with the same primary ball handlers from last year, the Suns suddenly going from a top five team at protecting the rock to a basement dweller would make zero sense. So with that considered, some early-season rust stands as the most likely culprit behind their sloppy play.

The same goes for their shooting. Especially down the stretch, the Suns often found themselves with wide open opportunities, still benefitting from their exquisite floor spacing and swift passing, but unable to connect. They went 10-27 from the field during the second half, which more or less killed their chances.

As an elite scorer, Booker best represented Phoenix’s uncharacteristically bad shooting. He went just 3-15 from the field, missing all the shots which normally go down for him.

Mikal Bridges, a career 82.6 percent shooter from the charity stripe, missed his only two free throws during the game as well. Crowder also went 0-5 from the field, missing from beyond the arc with each attempt, despite that shot being his bread and butter.