How the Phoenix Suns lost confidence in their defensive stud

The Phoenix Suns’ playoff exit was so jarring, so bewildering, that some key aspects were seemingly washed away in the utter shock of it all.

But when we look back and analyse the entire seven game series, certain facets arise that make the disastrous ending a little more understandable.

The Phoenix Suns lost confidence in Defensive Player of the Year candidate Mikal Bridges during the playoffs, severely affecting his impact on both ends of the floor.

Mikal Bridges had a career-best season in 2021-22, developing himself into an incredibly valuable two-way wing. The 25-year-old averaged career-highs in points and assists, shooting a highly efficient 53.4% from the field and 36.9% from three-point range.

It was the defensive end where Bridges made his mark though, regularly locking down on the league’s best perimeter players. The fourth-year player finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Boston Celtics’ guard Marcus Smart.

But for all Bridges’ impressive defensive moments during the regular season, they almost seemed to evaporate when the league-leading Suns entered the postseason. He was seen as a stopper, as the defensive force Phoenix could utilise against opposition stars.

The Suns were ultimately defeated by one of those stars. After being down 2-0 and seemingly lacking hope, Luka Doncic rampaged his way into and then out of Phoenix with a series win in hand. The Slovenian averaged 32.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 7 assists for the series, shooting nearly 50% from the floor as he repeatedly drove the dagger into Suns’ hearts.

Why was, as one of the best defenders in the world, Mikal Bridges not the primary defender on Luka Doncic?

Experienced veteran Jae Crowder was listed as the primary defender on Doncic throughout the series. The reasoning for that had plenty to do with Bridges’ efforts when guarding him, but also goes back to the rather uncomfortable first-round series the Suns had against the New Orleans Pelicans.

During that series, official NBA statistics show that, as expected, Bridges was the primary defender on Pelicans’ star Brandon Ingram. The results weren’t so great from a Phoenix perspective, with Ingram helping New Orleans compete in what many thought would be a lopsided series.

In nearly 34 minutes of the Bridges-Ingram matchup, the latter scored 36 points on 13-for-21 (61.9%) shooting and 6-for-8 (75%) from deep. Ingram also dished out six assists and committed just one turnover in that time.

In comparison, he had a much tougher time against Crowder. In that matchup of around 14 minutes, Ingram scored seven points on 37.5% shooting and committed three turnovers.

So, when the Doncic problem progressed later in the next series, the coaching staff had greater confidence in the experience of Crowder over the supposed defensive stud in Bridges.

The reality is that neither were going to work and that Phoenix simply had no answers for the Mavericks’ superstar. He scored 125 points and shot 50% in just under 28 minutes against Crowder, and 122 points on 57.1% shooting in just over 22 minutes against Bridges.

The underrated aspect here is what impact, if any, the dwindling confidence had on Bridges’ offensive game. That, just as much as the defense, was a key reason for the Suns’ exit. Bridges averaged less than ten points throughout the series, shooting 40.6% from the field and just 27.8% from three-point range.

Would head coach Monty Williams been better off by trusting Bridges more, or did he have no choice after what had occured in the Ingram matchup? It’s easy to say in hindsight, but Bridges’ regular season should have earned him an opportunity to see the task through to the end.

Heading into next season, Bridges does need to rebuild some of his reputation following that poor playoff showing. By extension, the Suns also need to re-establish themselves as one of the elite defensive teams should they wish to bounce back towards an NBA championship.