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Preseason Preview & Chat: The Phoenix Suns

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With the real games coming in a week, the Lakers only have 3 games left in this preseason. This final stretch will bring shifts in the game plan and a start of some normalcy with the lineups and players getting back to the lineup. It begins tonight with Jeremy Lin returning from his sprained ankle and Kobe likely to see a bump in his minutes to something approximating a regular season load.

Tonight’s opponent is the Suns, a team the Lakers should be looking at closely as a model of sorts. Last year the Suns were targeted by nearly every analyst to be a bottom feeder in the West only to play well above that mark, barely missing the playoffs in the final week of the season. Their success in the face of dreary predictions shows how analysis can go awry, even when it is as informed as the Vegas oddsmakers or experts at one of the established networks.

The Lakers, of course, have a long way to go when trying to duplicate what the Suns did as their roster construction is not anywhere near what the Suns have on deck. And, in a way, this serves as the perfect lead-in to tonight’s game.

The Suns are a team on the rise, possessing several young quality players and veterans coming into their own. Their already vaunted back court of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe only got stronger with the addition of former King Isaiah Thomas. Those three will form a wonderfully talented three guard rotation who can play in any combination imaginable (don’t discount all of them playing together, either) to wreak havoc on defenses. Add to them the Morris twins, Gerald Green, and Miles Plumlee and the Suns have a nice group of skilled athletes who will push the pace, shoot threes, and get up in you defensively.

This is stark contrast to what the Lakers will try to do, which makes this game an interesting contrast in styles. The Lakers will try to slow down the pace and keep those explosive guards under wraps while trying to pummel the Suns inside with Kobe post ups, Hill and Davis board work, and Randle bully drives to the rim. With Lin back in the lineup, the Lakers can (hopefully) get more dribble penetration and open the floor up for more shots behind the arc and slashers cutting in the wake of the ball handler to get easy baskets from dump-off passes or offensive rebounds.

Of course, all this is easier said than done. The Suns use a combination of “pace and space” and standard pick and roll on offense, and dare teams to leave shooters behind the rim while helping on dribble penetration. The Suns losing Channing Frye to the Magic will hurt them some in this approach, but they hope a combo of the Morris twins and Anthony Tolliver can make up for that. The Lakers, then, must try to control the dribbler and recover back to the arc to not give up open threes. Against the Warriors they were not successful at this. We will see if they do any better against the Suns. Maybe the 2nd half of the most recent Jazz game will give them some confidence on that side of the ball.

Where you can watch: 7pm start time on TWC Sportsnet.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Agree says

    The suns are the type of team that could really give the Lakers trouble. Mind you they will give lots of teams fits, having 2 talented attacking guards that can also shoot on the floor pretty much constantly. Lin can score pretty easily on Thomas/Dragic. But whoever is the 2 guard tonight will get burnt–especially if Kobe is trying to chase one of those speedsters.

    I agree with your assessment, the Suns made the “experts” look pretty dumb last year, and they have gotten better since then.

    If the lakers can rebound the ball real well with people like Hill/Davis then they need to run sometimes. Getting rid of 2nd chance shots is great and all, but fast break points are bread and butter for teams and typically lead to fouls or easy looks. I just don’t see how slowing the pace down helps much, unless your a defensive juggernaut with lots of defensive bigs inside to give the other team trouble. The Lakers just don’t have that defensive acumen. I really don’t like that Davis is being pegged as solely a back-up thus far. Hill can play power forward also, at least when they have people like Lin/Young on the floor who can space the floor and get those guys easy baskets near the hoop.

    Should be interesting for sure, but I’m not too excited to see guys try to stop those 3 guards. I think that formula is of sheer speed and offensive talent the Suns have now is going to likely keep the Suns in a lot of games this year.

  3. Jerke says

    Don’t think this is going to be a pretty game – Scott can try to slow the pace by being methodical on offense but as soon as those mid range jumpers start getting jacked up again and turn into long rebounds it’ll be off to the races for the faster more athletic Suns.

  4. pat oslon says

    Fortunately the Lakers gained a little confidence last night so I expect the good guys to play well tonight especially if they can avoid a slow start. Our guards will be tested tonight; defensively they will have to slow down the Suns young guns. The addition of Lin at the point will be a plus; Price needs to continue to play aggressive defensively. As a whole the team and coaches need to begin establishing an identity and rhythm going into the regular season.

  6. Jerke says

    @R – I don’t think there is really too much of an argument really. The reality is guys like Nash/Paul etc… that take the game seriously and are prepared get along well w Kobe and Kobe w them – would/will play w a guy like Kobe – its about mutual respect. Howard on the other hand has been in the past a far from mature and professional player and while a guy like Nash could’ve helped bridge that gap between Kobe and Howard if he’d not been injured via Lilliard – some guys just don’t handle the intensity/sharing the spotlight well. Kobe’s damned if he does/don’t – he’sa polarizing player and there’s equal amount fanboys and hater in the media – just depends on which soapbox the most recent article originates from. 6 more days and the season starts and there will be real ball to talk about tonight anyways.

    Looking forward to watching this game online tonight and letting NBA2k15 download for my ps4. I’ll be simming the Lakers season immediately to see where the games says we finish lol.

  9. Chearn says

    He’s something like a Phenomenon!

    Kobe!

    Jeremy Lin is going to be a solid player for the Lakers. Welcome back J.Lin

  11. pat oslon says

    Tough loss but the team showed a lot of heart and hustle for the second game in a row. I’m not going to bash anyone but it’ll sure be interesting once we whittle the roster on down.

  12. mindcrime says

    Before we barbeque Wes too much I’m actually impressed by what appears at least so far to be an improvement in his jumper off the bounce and midrange game. He scored 15 without any dunks or layups. His ball security was terrible tonight. But he appears to have worked on some of the holes in his game during the offseason

  13. mud says

    a nice game in spite of the fact that Wesley had rocks in his head for a moment and they should’ve won in regulation, but still it’s preseason and now is the time to figure stuff out. i’m glad that the team is doing a better job against dribble penetration. they seemed to be lacking fire a bit tonight. it’s not that they didn’t look like they cared, it looked a bit like the batteries needed to be changed. i like that they stuck with the game.

    Kobe looked great after looking like he still has a ways to go before he’s in full-on mode. that was a nice burst in the 4th.

  14. Archon says

    Like others have said I just don’t think Wes Johnson helps this team. He has a low ball IQ (on both ends) and doesn’t shoot we’ll enough to make up for his deficiencies.

  15. Oldtimer says

    Wesley is athletically gifted but lacked discipline in committing basic turnovers. This is his game style totally inconsistent, that’s why he slipped from high draft pick to a non essential player. He could improve his game under Scott like Gerald Green, if he stopped showboating and quit smiling while playing. I think Roscoe Smith will be cut. Phoenix Suns were not equally impressive, they have still traces of Dantoni’s game.

  16. mud says

    Wes just needs to keep his head in the game. he’s this team’s Lamar Odom. when he’s locked in on the game, he’s a game changer. Wes is a good player. he just needs help staying in the moment. most of his errors are from over-thinking, like the missed opportunity on the break when he forgot the ball because he was imagining the upcoming move…or that’s my story about it. hypnotize him..

  17. Agree says

    Kobe, Lin, and Ed Davis all look real good on offense. I’m not a fan of Boozer, but I will give him props he played well this game and played within himself without trying to turn back the clock and jack up endless 15 footers.

    Man, I wish Young was going to be back sooner, they really need another guys that can disrupt and create. I was not impressed at all with Randle this game.

    Lin/Kobe are a killer offensive combo in 4th quarters, those guys just lock in and are intense. This game gave me a glimmer of hope. But we really need Henry back, despite Johnson’s solid shooting he just seems to lack it mentally. 8 turnovers pretty much ruins much of the good he did. Kobe needs to also watch the turnovers his assist to T/o ratio is real bad still.

    I just hope that they give Ed Davis 30mins a game this year, they need him on the floor. The only way to really do so though is to give Hill some burn at the 4 spot also, especially against bigger teams. I like that Sacre sat the bench, I think he is a good big body, but at this point should be playing just 6-8mins a game or so. I really hope they work out this puzzle and the Lakers can be overachievers this year. Nothing shuts up critics and haters more than winning games.

  18. Fern says

    Good game, even losing, i think the team is starting to mesh. And seeing Kobe the last 2 games starting to get his groove back i dont doubt that he be in the 25 ppg range 40th best player in the NBA indeed. Lets not forget that the team is injury riddled. Should had won this on regulation.

  19. BigCitySid says

    No surprise Lakers were led by their best two players Kobe & Lin, ranked by ESPN at #40 & #100 respectively.

    Good news: Lakers still have a week to go before the games actually count.
    Bad news: Lakers only have a week to go before the games actually count.

  20. harold says

    the mixed feeling you get learning it is still pretty much the same Kobe. lol. as the season goes on, I am pretty sure I will fall back to clamoring Kobe to change his ways a bit and forget that we were *this* close to losing him to injury.

  21. George says

    Nice loss – by that I mean the Lakers were competitive and put forth a strong effort. I think that most of us know that the team will struggle for wins. I think the fear, after the three straight blow-outs, was that the team would be horrible.

    I know that Byron is from the Pat Riley coaching tree and rookies are to be seen and not heard. However, I would like to see Randle get more floor time than he is getting. Additionally, I think Davis and should get more playing time as well. Don’t see the need to play Boozer and Johnson so many minutes. Randle and Davis are the only players on the team with untapped upside. (I put Clarkson in that category although he may not contribute much until next year.) If we are going to sniff 40 wins it will have to be because Randle/Davis are beginning to reach their potential.

  22. Vasheed says

    So far I’m really happy with how Davis and Lin are playing exceptionally. Boozer has been playing up to expectations in a good way. Randle has been mixed playing well or poorly. I’m keen to see how he plays against Aldridge. Aldridge is a top notch PF with size and length. The type of guy I have not been able to envision Randle playing well against.

  23. Agree says

    George I pretty much agree with your comments. I would only say that I don’t think they need Randle at all to sniff 40 wins this year. He should get some pt mostly for the following years. The only hope I think they have of getting 40 wins with the West being so rough is Kobe/Lin/Young and the rest of the guys playing their roles. I do agree that Davis has lots of potential, but geez the dude looks great already! He basically takes only crazy high percentage shots, leads the NBA in field goal % in the pre-season and blocks shots like crazy in limited action. Give the guy 30mins a game and he likely will be a big part of them trying to overachieve and shock people this year. I don’t see that from Randle, but regardless don’t see how Boozer getting lots of PT helps us down the road. They should thank him for his efforts this year and sign him as a back-up to a Vet Minimum deal if he continues to act professional as he becomes a bench player/back-up in his waning years.

    I think Lin is a game changer, he is an above average player that can go into star mode for a number of games a year. He may not be able to put up crazy numbers 30 games a year, but if he can play well and occasionally go off into the “Zone” he will get a bunch of wins for us now and in the future. If Kobe can go into the “zone” another 10-20 games this season, the Lakers will pull out a bunch of wins. But I see it being a lot of close games, don’t see the Lakers dominating anyone in the West, not enough so that they can just empty their bench and rest their main guys. But Kobe needs to pass the torch, or at least learn to turn it into a relay race and pass it to Lin/Young depending on which one of those guys is lighting it up on a given night.

    But currently I still see Boozer/Randle at PF as our 2nd weakest position behind SF. I hope Clarkson plays some 2 this year, and Nash can maybe be our 3rd string PG when his back isn’t hurting. I suppose I just don’t have any faith in Wes J at this point, I think he would be great as a back-up SF not our go to guy.

  24. barry_g says

    the more I see of Ed Davis, the more I don’t understand why he was available to the Lakers for so little.

  28. Baylor Fan says

    “Used to be that if you had the NBA’s best player at shooting guard & center you were a title favorite. Anyone believe that about Houston?”

    D12 needs to show he is the best center and has fully recovered from back surgery. The best shooting guard also needs to be one of the best defenders. A first round exit was right last year and depending on Durant’s recovery, maybe a second round exit this season.

  29. Chearn says

    They believe that Anthony Davis is the next big thing. I’d still love to see him in purple and gold.

  30. T. Rogers says

    Sid,

    Kobe is just not in vogue anymore with media and this new wave of analytics driven NBA leadership. And the Spurs winning last season with their style of play and their “take less than the max” players only compounds it. Over the next two seasons I can see it getting even worse. Of course Abbott wrote a hit piece. That’s his M.O. But I can see more piling on coming Kobe’s way.

  31. the other Stephen says

    @ T. Rogers:

    Just a throwback Jeff Van Gundy quote about Kobe: “this is a guy who can only win if he wins, because some media critics in particular just don’t want to give this guy the credit that he is due as one of the all-time greats and all-time big winners.”

    “If he had a different personality where he tried to suck up to people and was warm and cuddly all the time, not one person would have commented that [he didn’t have a great playoffs] performance. Because when Lebron James scored 25 and beat Detroit, everybody raved about how he carried the team; or when Jordan used to get 50 in a playoff game [they raved] about his greatness.”