3 Suns who have to step it up during extended stay at home

The Phoenix Suns returned home from a four game Western Conference swing having gone a disappointing 1-3, although injuries were surely the reason why. The continued absence of Kevin Durant with Bradley Beal joining him (both left calf strains) leaving Devin Booker to do a lot of heavy lifting on his own.

Despite the team leading for virtually all of the game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves - like literally almost the entire time - they ended up losing that one, as well as games to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings (for a second time). The rebuilding Utah Jazz the only victory of the bunch.

Now it is time for these three players to step up at home.

In theory the schedule gets easier during this period that will take the franchise into December, with some Eastern Conference opponents coming to town. The Suns should have nothing to fear versus the Orlando Magic and both New York teams, while there's another meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers. That's always a fun matchup.

Add the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs to the mix - games in which the Suns may even be underdogs - and snapping their current three-game losing streak could be difficult. No pressure on these three guys to deliver then, for a host of different reasons.

3. Devin Booker

Fans were really getting on Devin Booker's back a few games back, because of how he was failing to take over games with Durant and Beal sitting. This was best illustrated with the 12 points he put up in that loss to the Thunder, while regular trade candidate Josh Okogie somehow paced the team by pouring in 15 himself.

In fact Okogie again had a team high 25 points in that second Kings loss, which further proves that if he's outscoring Booker in two games, the Suns aren't likely to come out on top in those contests. Then Booker went and burned the Timberwolves for 44 points, and all felt right with the world again.

Julius Randle may have overshadowed Booker by hitting a controversial buzzer-beater, but this was the 28-year-old superstar back to his offensive best. He took essentially all of his shots in the flow of the offense, while he connected on a team high six 3-pointers.

There is a great opportunity here for the Suns to beat up on the Magic - who are missing star Paolo Banchero through injury - or have Booker go supernova against a Knicks group that have yet to figure it out defensively. If he can average 30 a night across this six game slate, the Suns are going to win more of these games than they lose.

2. Oso Ighodaro

Much of the talk of the Suns' rookies so far this season has rightly revolved around Ryan Dunn. He might have cooled off from behind the arc after starting off on fire, but he's already the first name head coach Mike Budenholzer calls to start games if Beal or Durant are unavailable.

Dunn is outperforming his role, but he's also being asked a lot considering he's yet to play 15 NBA games. Defensively however he's already been elite for stretches of games, and appears to be able to switch onto all manner of opponents. What does any of this have to do with Ighodaro though?

Center Jusuf Nurkic is already confirmed to miss the Magic game through injury, and he has not looked like himself lately. A sore ankle likely the cause - it has made him miss some games already this season - although even when healthy he is the one member of the starting group that fans would gladly trade if they could.

Ighodaro had 11 points against the Timberwolves and saw some extended run off the bench (26 minutes, a team high for non-starters), with his own size combating that of the opponent. He finished the game with a +8, the highest of any Suns player. If he can continue being a factor on both ends with his frame and hops - while cutting with menace offensively - he's going to help this team win.

1. Grayson Allen

You might have missed it during the second half of that Timberwolves loss, but Grayson Allen did something we haven't seen much of all season. He smiled. It came after making a pair of 3-pointers, and it signalled relief more than anything else.

It feels like Allen is struggling with not being a starter this season, having graciously given the spot to point guard Tyus Jones. Not only that, but the weight of expectation having led the entire league in 3-point shooting last season. Factor in the considerable muscle he packed on, and this is not the same Allen as before.

That was a bad thing up until recently, with Royce O'Neale having beaten Allen out of the sixth man role and the sharpshooter struggling to find his place with this group. Against the Timberwolves though Allen had 18 points off the bench, which was second only to Booker's avalanche of scoring.

He connected on 6-of-10 shots from deep, and those makes sucked the air out of the Target Center for a period of time. If ever there was a time to get hot again, it is in front of the fans in The Valley. His makes get a reaction from the crowd like few others can - and if Allen can get hot and shoot over 40 percent during this extended stay at home - this group will be in a better place when Durant returns.