Posted on by

Suns takeaways from preseason finale

Suns takeaways from preseason finale

play

The Phoenix Suns finally played a preseason game with their starters Tyus Jones, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic in Thursday’s 128-122 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Better late than never, even in a game that doesn’t count in the standings.

Nurkic had not played the entire preseason due to a left middle finger injury, while Booker missed the previous two preseason games due to right ankle soreness.

All five starters reached double figures, with Booker scoring a team-high 22 points. Durant scored 19 points, Nurkic delivered 15, Beal contributed 13 and Jones added 11.

Anthony Davis and rookie Dalton Knecht each scored 35 points to lead the Lakers.

The Lakers gave LeBron James a break, but the Suns treated it like a dress rehearsal for the regular season, which begins Oct. 23 at the Los Angeles Clippers.

They had Booker, Durant, Beal and Jones still on the field, along with big backup Mason Plumlee, and there were less than five minutes left in the game.

Here are three takeaways as the Suns have five days between Thursday’s preseason finale and the Oct. 23 opener.

Nurkic debut, Class B-

It definitely weighs less than 290 pounds. Looks like 270, maybe a little lighter.

Came out bombing from 3, as coach Mike Budenholzer had requested. He hit his first shot, but Davis could only score with an off-screen-and-pop 3-pointer.

Davis hit four of his first five from three and scored 14 quick points in the first period. Davis is a matchup problem for all bigs and Nurkic continues to struggle to control him even with the lighter feet.

Nurkic has never been the best in pick-and-roll coverage, but he should improve with playing time.

The 7-footer had a much better start to the second half. He went coast-to-coast for a layup, drew the foul, scored on the inside and did a better job guarding Davis, particularly on a Davis drive. He was called for the foul, but his initial reaction was good as he tried to hit Davis at the rim.

Overall, a decent to solid debut in 17 minutes of playing time. Nurkic shot 6 of 11 from the field, grabbed seven boards and blocked two shots, but was also whistled for three fouls.

Combinations

Budenholzer continues to have different lineups that may become the norm. This is a guy who would take Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the game in the first quarter while coaching Milwaukee.

So if you see Booker go to the bench in the first quarter even though he normally played the entire first quarter, don’t be surprised.

Budenholzer’s lineups ranged from Beal as the only starter, to Nurkic and rookie Oso Ighodaro on the field, to Durant playing the three with two bigs on the court.

He had played against eleven players in the first 18 to 19 minutes of the game.

The question is whether the lineup will consist of nine, ten, eleven or twelve players. Grayson Allen was sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury. If he’s healthy, he’ll certainly be in the rotation.

Rookie Ryan Dunn should be there. Budenholzer has options, but what will his minutes be for Booker, Durant and Beal? Booker probably would have played more than 28 minutes. He injured his right ankle on a contested drive but continued to play.

Durant played 31 minutes and Beal saw 30 minutes of action. Keep an eye on how consistent the minutes are for the Big 3, regardless of how the game unfolds.

Scoring points is not a problem, defense is

The Suns only stopped themselves on offense through turnovers and had 15 turnovers, which led to 13 points for the Lakers.

Beal committed five. Still hasn’t found a consistent way to play and has had some issues defensively, committing four fouls and shooting 1 of 6 from three fouls.

Phoenix only managed 36 of 3 shots, or 12, but shot 47% overall. They still scored 122 points without making much from the 3 and giving up possessions. That’s how special they can be on offense.

Defensively, it’s a different story. Again, they lack size as evidence by giving up 14 offensive rebounds and 21 second-chance points.

I still have trouble getting around the pick-and-roll because it allows for open shots. The Lakers also had some straight drives to the rim.

It’s preseason again.

Do you have any opinions on the current state of the suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

Support local journalism. Start your online subscription.