Phoenix Suns: 3 Takeaways from Awkward Victory over Sacramento Kings

Phoenix Suns Takeaways: Mikal Bridges Needs to Shoot More

Mikal Bridges finished his night against the Kings with 16 points, going 6-9 from the field. Nearly half of those attempts came during the third period, where the Suns enjoyed their monstrous run to extend their lead. But during Phoenix’s putrid fourth quarter, Bridges only took one shot.

A clear correlation exists between Bridges frequently shooting the ball and the Suns playing well, which the team needs to acknowledge going forward.

With Bridges currently shooting 58.0 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc, he embodies Phoenix’s most efficient scorer. Especially on nights where the Suns run into offensive droughts, they need to either draw up more plays featuring Bridges, or just encourage him to pull the trigger more often.

Phoenix’s pick-and-roll offense normally works well to break down opposing defenses, but the Kings figured it out down the stretch, holding the Suns to just 11 points during the final period. Under these circumstances specifically, a slashing and self-creating shot maker like Bridges is a coach’s dream.

From here on out, Monty Williams and Paul need to recognize when situations such as these come into play, and make the proper adjustments.