Key to Success #2: Improvement in guarding pick and roll
In the 2020/21 regular season, the Suns ranked as the joint-best pick and roll defense in the league giving up only 0.84 points per pick and roll possession. After the first 4 games of this 2021/22 season, the Suns ranked as a bottom 10 pick and roll defense. To those watching Suns games, this wouldn’t come as a major surprise. The discipline and the point of attack defensive proficiency from a season ago is nowhere to be found and if the Suns want to meet their contention aspirations, they need to fix this issue fast especially with the Cavs in town.
The Cavs have no shortage of capable pick and roll ball-handlers with Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, and Ricky Rubio, whose great passing suns fans will remember fondly. Evan Mobley, who will be playing his 7th game, already possesses a threat as the rolling or popping big. Jarrett Allen has been one of the best play-finishers in the league this season.