Once again, the NBA season is winding down. Often, this time is where teams focus on the near future.
Whether it be play-in or playoffs, players are getting ready to enter those settings. The Phoenix Suns are in the middle of this process.
Part of their process, especially with the State of the Western Conference, is to win more games. Therefore, as the sixth seed, the Suns have a tough road ahead, especially with their upcoming schedule.
The Suns have four games left against some tough games but, the most significant of these matchups will be against the Los Angeles Clippers. Particularly, the Suns will face off against them two times straight on April 9 and 10.
As of April 8, the Clippers are the four seed with a record of 50-28. They are one of the few teams in the “Wild West” that has one of the higher seeds.
That alone makes them a tough team for the Phoenix Suns. But that isn’t all.
Another aspect of this team is their talent. The Clippers have four former all-stars and four possible Hall of Famers in Paul George, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kawhi Leonard. All four of which can go off at any time and in diverse ways.
For instance, take the examples of Westbrook and Kawhi. Westbrook is more of an energy player while Kawhi is a reserved two-way player. Despite these differences, they can give the team a lift.
Because of these differences, the Clippers can come at the Suns from many different angles. This is not only another reason why this matchup will be tough, but it also highlights how the Suns are structured.
Of course, the Suns also have future Hall of Famers on their roster in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. So, they have a fighting chance.
But many of these players mainly affect one facet of the game: scoring. Of course, Kevin Durant can be a decent defender and Booker has become a better passer, but the main threats of their games remain scoring.
The Clippers have plenty of offensive threats as well, so they can’t expect to beat them with offense alone. Fortunately, the Suns have a defensive rating of 114.0 (13th in the NBA)!
Through this defensive effort throughout the season, the Phoenix Suns showed they are capable of being good defensively. This means they can make the right defensive adjustments, no matter the situation.
On the Phoenix Suns, the best defenders include players like Josh Okogie and Royce O’Neal. Consequently, these players will be guarding players like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
But who’s going to guard James Harden or Russell Westbrook? What if Okogie or O’Neal struggle defensively? Well, it’s Coach Frank Vogel’s decision to make.
If Okogie is doing well on Paul George, he’ll keep Okogie defending him. If Royce O’Neal is struggling to defend Kawhi Leonard, he’ll likely ask Okogie or Durant to take the assignment.
Continuing, players like Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon will be guarding Russell and/or Harden. Similarly, if they do well, he’ll keep the defensive rotations the way they are. If they don’t, he’ll likely switch some things around (like Kevin Durant guarding Westbrook or Booker guarding Harden).
Overall, it’s a situation-by-situation basis. Also, like any game of basketball, defense is half the game. The Suns understand this.
It’s tough, but, if done well, the Suns (at the very least) will be able to split the mini-season series. However, if they do horrible defensively, winning is less possible. Hopefully, they find a way to win both.
Stay tuned for more NBA content, including midseason moves, contract updates, and more pieces about every team.
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