Ranking every Phoenix Suns player from Wednesday’s loss to the Kings

If you simply saw the final score of Wednesday’s game as a disappointing home loss for the Phoenix Suns, then you’re simply not grasping the context of what unfolded.

Given Phoenix had nine of regular players sidelined, including all of their starters, this was a game the Sacramento Kings were expected to win comfortably. Perhaps that affected them, that they took in a nonchalant attitude after hearing the Suns would field a literal third-string lineup.

The Phoenix Suns role players delivered a strong performance against the Sacramento Kings, falling just short in a 105-104 loss to conclude preseason.

There’s been much conjecture on the makeup of the Suns bench, and if James Jones has procured enough roster depth to maintain championship contention. The concerns had been proven valid in earlier preseason games, but this performance shunted things in a much more positive direction.

There’s an underwhelming level of bench talent compared to some rivals, yet that can be mitigated by the attitudinal fortitude displayed against the Kings. For the first time this preseason, Phoenix unfurled a level of grit and toughness they needed when at a talent disadvantage.

It carried them along way, to the point they should have actually won. 24 turnovers and 24.1% shooting from three proved fatal though, even if Duane Washington Jr. had the chance to revive victory at the end. But look beyond the final result and understand the bigger picture; the Suns unearthed some more promise that could be utilized in more important situations going forward.

Here’s every Phoenix Suns player ranked from 1-9 in the loss to the Kings.

9. Torrey Craig

Started again at power-forward but played the third least minutes for the Suns. Craig had five points on a disappointing 1-for-8 from the floor, including 1-for-5 from three. Did hustle for six rebounds and provided experience on an otherwise young team. Like most role players, performs much better when around star level talent.

8. Damion Lee

Equalled Craig by going 1-for-8 from the field in his 28 minutes. His sneaky good rebounding was again on display with eight, while he also had three assists and made all four of his free-throws. Orchestrated some pick-and-roll plays which isn’t his go, with a team low -15 plus-minus demonstrating his lack of value on the contest.

7. Ish Wainright

The three-point shooting is the only facet holding Wainright back from a regular role. He’s clearly lacking confidence from beyond the arc, subsequently causing some hesitance as he went 1-for-5 from deep. The defense was very good; three blocks and three steals to go with five rebounds.