Miles Bridges didn’t need much time to identify the problem after the Suns’ 26-point loss to the Spurs on Monday: Phoenix didn’t do enough to back up Devin Booker.
Booker turned in another huge night, scoring 32 points on 58% shooting from the field, but the rest of the Suns had a hard time matching his level. Bridges was part of that issue, and he admitted the team didn’t give Booker enough support.
“We could have moved it more, but Book had it going, especially in that first quarter,” he explained. “So, we were just trying to get him some good looks.
“And we got to help him a little bit by making our shots. I missed open threes I usually make. Like I said, Book had it going, and he's a great passer too, so when he gets off it, we got to execute.”
San Antonio’s defense made life miserable for Phoenix. The Spurs packed the paint, pressured the ball and made clean looks hard to come by. Booker still found ways to score, but the physicality around him was too much for the Suns’ supporting cast to handle.
It was a familiar kind of problem for Phoenix, especially after the physical game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. This time, though, the Spurs brought enough force to make the Suns pay.
Jordan Ott said he knew Booker would need more help from the rest of the roster. The Suns were already dealing with injuries, and the schedule hasn’t made things any easier, with seven games in 12 days.
Even so, Ott made it clear that a team facing San Antonio has to bring its best. Phoenix did that against Houston, and the expectation was that edge would carry over.
Instead, the Suns struggled in the minutes without Booker, and Ott said that stretch exposed what still needs work.
“It’s a challenge. I know he played 39 minutes the other night.
We’re in a back-to-back; we’re in 3 and 4, we’re in 4 and 6, but we’re going to need others to come help. And that first stint without him wasn’t great.
We felt it, and that’s why we’re trying to close the gap there in the third before we got him out, and then that’s when (Dylan) Harper took off.
“Tonight we struggled there.”
In Other News...
Victor Wembanyama Just Exposed A Suns Problem Devin Booker Couldn't Fix
Victor Wembanyama turned a routine early-season test into a reminder of just how much trouble his size, skill and timing can create for Phoenix. The Spurs rolled to a 122-96 win as Wembanyama piled up 40 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks in just 25 minutes, and the Suns never found a clean answer for him or for the way San Antonio kept feeding off his presence. The loss snapped Phoenixs two-game winning streak and left the Suns looking like a team that could not quite match the Spurs pace, length and shot-making.
Jordan Ott and Devin Booker both pointed to Wembanyamas impact afterward, but the bigger issue for Phoenix was how thoroughly San Antonios team play amplified the matchup problem. The Suns had stretches where they simply could not get comfortable on either end, and a night that started as another chance to build momentum instead became a blunt reminder of the gap they still have to close against elite frontcourt talent. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Is Becoming A Serious Problem For The Suns
Victor Wembanyama is already making life miserable for the Suns in a way that goes beyond one ugly night. The Spurs fast start has been driven by his all-around dominance, with Wembanyama putting up eye-popping numbers across the board through the first 10 games and joining Shaquille ONeal as the only players in the last 50 seasons to open a season with that kind of scoring, rebounding and rim protection.
Against Phoenix, he looked every bit like the centerpiece of a team that is starting to believe in itself, going for 40 points, 11 rebounds and 8 blocks in a Spurs win. For the Suns, it was another reminder that even when they find ways to score, Wembanyama can take over the game at both ends, and the challenge of dealing with him is only getting bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Loss Exposed A Problem Phoenix Still Hasn't Solved
The Suns latest meeting with the Spurs offered a familiar reminder of how much work still remains in Phoenix. San Antonio, with Victor Wembanyama affecting both ends of the floor, put the Suns in a bind inside, where Phoenix was beaten badly on the glass and gave up too much ground in the paint. It was the kind of loss that can linger because it pointed to a problem the Suns have been trying to address for a while.
Even with several Suns players earning community award nominations for their efforts in the game, the bigger picture was hard to ignore. Phoenix can survive stretches when the shot-making is there, but nights like this show how vulnerable the team can be when opponents control the interior and create second chances. Until that changes, the Suns will keep running into the same pressure points against teams built to exploit them. [Read more 🡒]