The Phoenix Suns kept their season moving in the right direction - despite exiting the Emirates NBA Cup - and now find themselves at 12-8 after the most recent win over the San Antonio Spurs. Unfortunately for the organization, Kevin Durant had to exit that one with an ankle sprain.
Talk of bringing Bradley Beal off the bench - which we discussed in some detail here - may have to cool for now, as there's no question the Suns need him out there as much as possible when Durant is not around. With Devin Booker having also entered the 15,000 club, the Suns continue to have envious offensive firepower.
They're also looking better defensively without center Jusuf Nurkic too.
Nurkic is currently missing with a right thigh contusion that will be re-evaluated in the coming days, although it remains to be seen if he will make it out for the upcoming three game road trip the team is going on. That will take in games versus the New Orleans Pelicans, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, who have already gotten the better of them at home this season.
The win over the Spurs was positive for many reasons, and it started with keeping Victor Wembanyama scoreless for an entire half. As incredible as that sounds, it may have as much to do with how Wembanyama approached the game than anything else. He finished with 15 points, and once again fell in love with his 3-point shot.
Oso Ighodaro on what's expected of him with Jusuf Nurkic out: "I think just continuing to do what I'm doing. Just playing hard. I know my role, keep it simple, play defense, compete, give max effort. I'm gonna make mistakes, but just to play hard is the No. 1 thing, compete." pic.twitter.com/Ro8drVNBSh
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 3, 2024
He was an ugly 1-of-9 on the night, and that is consistent with the 9.2 he has chucked up per game so far this season. That being said, this group deserves some credit for how they handled both Wembanyama and rookie guard Stephon Castle (16 points). Without Nurkic there as a lumbering big inside the paint, this team looked more comfortable guarding all positions and switching as well.
Instead it was on rookie Oso Ighodaro - who started and played 28 minutes - as well as backup Mason Plumlee to eat the Nurkic minutes. Grayson Allen also did an excellent job forcing his way back into the conversation, playing 24 minutes in this one. His shot wasn't falling, but like sixth man Royce O'Neale he's an underrated defender who is capable of holding his own with bigger opponents.
This was only the third occasion the team have held an opponent to under 100 points all season, with the 93 allowed here being the lowest. Nurkic did play on those other two occasions - against the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder - but it is still worth noting moving forward.
Plumlee can comfortably play 20 minutes each night and not be a massive negative, although it is unfair to expect Ighodaro to step into such a big spot for a roster with big ambitions. Perhaps the organization will go out and try and get another big ahead of the trade deadline, and this game will have given the front office something to think about.
Nurkic can still play his part here, it just needs to be in a lesser role. Perhaps swapping Plumlee and Nurkic is one solution, which would allow Ighodaro to come on at his own pace. It is unfortunate for the Bosnian, but this latest injury setback may have been the moment the Suns realized he needs to play less in order for the team to take a step forward defensively.