PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns opened up their five-game preseason slate with a down-to-the-wire 118-114 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Palm Desert, California.
The Suns encountered a rough first quarter that was dominated by the Lakers’ inside presence – but bounced back in a colossal way to seal the victory.
Three takeaways from the game:
Three-Point Volume Uptick Apparent
This was an anticipated philosophical shift for Phoenix ever since Mike Budenholzer was hired as head coach in May – and it was one of our highlighted points of interest going into the game.
The shift delivered – and then some.
Phoenix averaged 32.6 three-point attempts per night in 2023-24, which ranked as the sixth-fewest in a league that has continued to rapidly change.
The team answered the call – attempting 32 in just the first three quarters – with highlights being a four-point play by Devin Booker in the first quarter, two corner hits from rookie Ryan Dunn, and Damion Lee’s two hits after over a year of being sidelined from game action.
The blueprint for success for the Phoenix offense is certainly there, and Budenholzer is quite possibly the right coach to right the ship with this talent.
Defense Suffers Shaky Start, Finishes Strong
It would be a drastic understatement to say that the Suns defense had a rough start to the new campaign on the defensive side of the ball – a far cry from the balanced and potent offensive attack.
Phoenix ceded 44 points in the paint to the Lakers in the first half – and 36 combined between LeBron James/Anthony Davis.
The defense answered the call in the second half, only allowing 45 points against mostly second unit Lakers. Despite the drop off in talent, the majority of the best defenders on the team come off the bench – and they showed up when it was needed, most importantly in the final Lakers’ possession that lead to a Dunn dunk to seal the victory.
Role Players Flash
It’s true that preseason and regular season are completely different entities. It’s also true that Suns fans should feel much better about the depth of this roster compared to the previous rendition.
Lee ended up hitting double digits in limited minutes. Josh Okogie brought a jolt of energy as always, and was productive on offense. Oso Ighodaro was phenomenal all-around – from rim-running, to rim protecting, to creating offense for others.
Dunn flashed on offense and played as expected on the other end of the ball. Royce O’Neale collected three blocks and reminded people who he can be. Monte Morris did a bit of everything on the floor.
Even Collin Gillespie and Frank Kaminsky made some game-changing plays in key situations.
The moral of the story? This could be the deepest Suns roster since the 2021 Finals squad – and don’t discount Budenholzer’s ability to mix-and-match rotations.
The Suns will be in action next on Tuesday from Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan against the Detroit Pistons.