While that might not seem like a particularly big development to some, any additional options from the paper-thin Suns bench is a welcome turn of events for head coach Monty Williams, who was forced to play his starters heavy minutes in the first round. Backup point guard Cameron Payne played three minutes in the Suns’ closeout Game 5 against the Clippers, the first time he’d seen the floor in two weeks due to low back soreness. He never have opportunity or chance to be the main guy … but I think he has the talent for that.” High praise from the Joker … which will no doubt be returned in kind from Ayton sometime soon.įor the first time since the NBA Covid bubble in Orlando, the Nuggets are completely healthy going into the second round, with each of their key pieces firing on all cylinders. The latest came from Jokic following Denver’s practice Friday morning: “He’s a talented player. Do the opposing big men want to battle in the paint or engage in one long bro-hug? Given how much praise they heap on each other at every turn, it’s hard to tell sometimes. While there may be a heated playoff rivalry brewing between the Nuggets and Suns - Suns in 4 Guy remains a B-List celebrity in the Valley of the Sun - you wouldn’t know it listening to Nikola Jokic and DeAndre Ayton. There is, of course, one tiny caveat: None of those games came against last year’s top seed in the Western Conference or this year’s edition post-Kevin Durant trade. This isn’t a volume thing, either, as his shooting percentages over 20 games (50.5% from field, 46.8% from 3, 87.3% from the free throw line) spell out in bold blue ink. Murray’s career points-per-game average against Phoenix (21.1) is higher than against any other NBA team. the Suns - a team he’s torched repeatedly throughout his career. Speaking of Jamal Murray, the Blue Arrow absolutely has to be licking his chops at the prospect of getting seven games vs. Will Williams decide to help off Gordon and throw double-teams in Jokic’s direction? Will Malone insist Jokic play at the level of the screen in pick-and-roll, rather than get carved apart like what happened two seasons ago? Between these two offensive juggernauts, this series will likely come down to defense, and Denver might have better personnel for the job. Edge: NuggetsĬoaching: Flash back to the 2010-11 season, and guess who you’ll find on Monty Williams’ coaching staff in New Orleans? That’d be current Nuggets coach Michael Malone. Between Braun, Brown and Green, the Nuggets may be able to take advantage of some beleaguered legs, especially as the series gets deeper. Forget that the Suns’ starters have already logged significant minutes. As a result, the Nuggets’ bench may play an outsized role in this series. Edge: Nuggetsīench: The Suns’ depth is hanging out somewhere in Brooklyn after the Durant trade robbed Phoenix of some key pieces. Expect an aggressive Jokic to do his work early and try to land Ayton in foul trouble. Length (or defense) isn’t necessarily Phoenix’s strength. If the Timberwolves backlogged the paint in the first round, it will be the opposite this round with ample room to roam. But this series is made for Joker, who averaged 31 points, 16.5 rebounds and 12 assists vs. Jokic appreciates how Ayton has focused on his role rather than worrying about his place within Phoenix’s depth chart. Edge: Suns, slightly.īig men: Is Nikola Jokic playing mind games by publicly touting Deandre Ayton as a difficult matchup? The guess is no. Due to Phoenix’s depth, old friend Torrey Craig will play a bigger role than you might expect. Durant raved about Porter on Friday, deeming him an X-factor for the series. And the Suns still need to stop Gordon on the glass and Michael Porter Jr. If Gordon gets into foul trouble, it may mean Jeff Green, Braun or even (gasp!) Watson gets the call. If Gordon can minimize Durant’s impact, he’ll have done his job. His size, strength and athleticism will be essential to living in Durant’s space. They know that he prefers going left, yet that only goes so far in terms of stopping him. Brown was teammates with Durant in Brooklyn, and Peyton Watson is friends with him off the court. His ability to shred defenses, particularly when paired with Booker, is terrifying. It doesn’t matter that Kevin Durant’s played just 13 games with the Suns. Wings: When you acquire one of the NBA’s all-time scorers at the trade deadline, you instantly vault yourself into title contention. Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon has become dragon-slayer of NBA Playoffs and Denver’s secret MVP. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu
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