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Dec 03Β β’Β 4 min read
Suns Regaining Health, Rediscovering Stride
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β π GOOD MORNING Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 -- A team's health is (obviously) critical to long-term success, and it showed as the Suns' star players battled injuries early in the 2024-25 NBA season. The Sun Devils are unfortunately learning that lesson now, too. ASU coach Kenny Dillingham announced yesterday star receiver Jordyn Tyson is out indefinitely, a tough blow for a team that will face-off against Iowa State on Saturday for the Big 12 title, as well as a berth in the College Football Playoff. Make no mistake, Tyson's absence isn't the end-all for a team that boasts Cam Skattebo and Sam Leavitt, but the highly-rated receiver will be missed as the team looks to cap off its historic season with a conference championship. On to happier news, the Suns are in fact emerging from the injury bug (sans Jusuf NurkiΔ), and that's where we find ourselves this morning. On to the show! π° LEADING OFF Suns Re-establishing Their Stride as They Get HealthyThe Phoenix Suns are rediscovering their stride. If they stay healthy, the rest of the NBA is officially on notice. Phoenix's well-documented struggles without stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal felt like a nightmare with seemingly no end. Fans watched in horror as the Suns' scorching 8-1 start evaporated into a 9-7 record, and many were critical of Devin Booker's struggles from the field during that stretch. Multiple voices at PHNX preached patience as Booker and the Suns struggled to adjust to missing two of their biggest pieces, and while defenses loaded up against the Suns superstar, Phoenix continued to drop game after game until a merciful scheduling anomaly that gave the Suns a five-day break. They're now back into winning mode, resembling the team we saw at the beginning of the season, and if health remains in tact, they could be a force in the fall. β±οΈ BECOME A DIEHARD TODAY!
Booker is So BackBooker was held to under 20 points three times in the seven games without Durant and Beal, all of which resulted in losses. Even so, the Suns lost at Minnesota when he put up 44 points, so, simply put, the game doesn't simply come down to simply how Booker performs. In many ways, it's the support he has around him. Durant and Beal's return to the lineup didn't have any impact on Booker's playing time -- especially early in games -- and he said those extended minutes in the first quarter serve as a primer that help him get into the flow of the game. "It enables me to not only score, but facilitate, too, just take what the game gives me," Booker said after the Suns' 113-105 win over Golden State. "Just let the game come to me." The 28-year-old has scored at least 26 points in each game since the Big 3 has been reunited, and the unit's health moving forward is critical to Booker's -- and the team's -- success moving forward. The Kids Can PlayIt hasn't all been great news for the Suns, as Jusuf NurkiΔ continues to miss time. The team announced yesterday the center will miss at least one week with a right thigh contusion, creating opportunities for other players to step up, as clichΓ© as that sounds. That's nothing new for the likes of Tyus Jones, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighdaro, who impressed during Durant and Beal's absence and will continue to be an important part of the team's formula moving forward. Jones notched 19 points and nine assists in Phoenix's win over Golden State on Saturday, and the 28-year-old is averaging 11.5 points and 7.2 assists per game this season. Not that it surprises Booker. "I told y'all, that's all I have to say," Booker said. "I've known him for 15 years, so I knew." Dunn (21 years old) and Ighodaro (22 years old) have brought energy and tenacious defense, something that Durant said is exactly what the Suns need with a roster of aging veterans. "We expect that out of them, that's what they bring to our team," Durant said. "That energy, that aggressiveness on defense, that physicality on defense, and then challenging at the rim." There's No Replacing KD, the X-FactorDurant's absence wasn't just noticeable in the box score -- his ability to score in crunch time is something that just cannot be replaced. The 36-year-old's experience and demeanor are just as valuable as the 27 points per game he has averaged in 12 games this season, and he consistently hit critical jumpers in the closing minutes during the team's red-hot start to the season. Even Booker couldn't help but marvel at it. β "The clutch factor, being able to make tough shots in those situations," Booker said. "Well, shots that seem tough to us, but probably not to him. "He's been there before." And for the Suns to have any sort of extended success this season, they need both him and Beal to be there when the playoffs come around in the spring. Editor's note: Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for the FREE PHNX Daily here, and don't miss out on free, exclusive content about The Valley's top sports stories every morning! ποΈ ABOUT LAST NIGHT... β½ CIRCLE K CIRCLING BACK π¬ THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID
(results to be posted in Wednesday's newsletter) π GEAR UP π» DON'T MISS OUT |
The PHNX Daily brings you the top sports stories in Arizona every day, delivered right to your inbox! Follow along with all of your beloved AZ sports teams as we bring unique, free content featuring your favorite players, coaches and personalities from throughout the state's sports scene. You can also catch up on the most recent stories from your favorite PHNX writers, check out the most recent podcast from our vast offering of shows, and find all the information needed to see which of your teams are playing on any given day, what time they start, and where you can watch or listen to them. It's all free, delivered to you bright and early each and every morning!