Ranking every Phoenix Suns player from Wednesday’s comeback win against the Dallas Mavericks (5-8).
8. Jock Landale
Made a nice immediate impact with a couple of baskets, but was rather subdued for the remainder of his ten minutes. Seven points, two rebounds and a nice block, however it looks like Williams will ride with Ayton as much as possible this season.
7. Chris Paul
Was this the first time ever where Paul was stapled to the bench in the closing moments of a hard-fought game? The playmaking element was still there with nine assists, but he shot just 1-for-6 from the floor for six points. Was it simply a one-off game, or could his absence from closing lineups be a more regular occurrence? It’s not great signs sure, but it’s one game after all and there’s no reason to panic just yet.
6. Cameron Payne
Looked good given he, like Johnson, was returning from a finger injury. Things didn’t start well in the opening half, but credit to the lefty, he battled back and made a major impact when the game was on the line. Box score numbers don’t stand out (just seven points and one assist), but his +15 demonstrated solid value to the contest.
5. Cameron Johnson
A couple of triples helped turn the tide initially in the third quarter, and this was a nice start to his role as the Suns starting power-forward. 15 points in 27 minutes, knocking down three of his six three-point attempts and going 6-for-13 overall. Contributed little else besides three rebounds – having impact in other aspects is the next step that we’ve been discussing all offseason. Left the game during the fourth and never returned, with the cramping issues perhaps down to a compromised preseason.