Game Thread: Hawks @ Suns -- Len's Homecoming

[Jamaaliver]

Groundhog's Day:

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The Phoenix Suns play the Atlanta Hawks for the first time this season

Two young teams struggling for wins but Suns may have Deandre Ayton back

The Phoenix Suns have lost nine straight games, three of which have been losses on game winning shots.

Three devastating losses for a Suns team that was actually trying in those games and gave everything they got. Devin Booker even put up 38 points on the Spurs and hit a clutch shot towards the end to tie it but it wasn’t enough. Deandre Ayton was practicing on Friday so it’s safe to say he’s probably good to go for Saturday night’s matchup against the Hawks.

The Atlanta Hawks have also been dealing with their fair share of struggles this season with a 16-34 record. They’ve lost 6 of their last 10 games and are currently sitting in 4th to last in the Eastern Conference standings.

Sophomore John Collins has been leading the way with 19.3 points and 10 rebounds per game while rookie Trae Young has added 17 points and 7 assists per game. The two have done a great job holding things down on both ends of the floor despite the losing record.

Since we haven’t seen these two teams play against each other yet it’s hard to get a feel for how they’ll match up. The Hawks are on a back-to-back and the Suns have been off since their game on Tuesday night. Therefore, the Suns have the advantage plus Ayton back, so I’m feeling pretty confident that they can win it.

Suns -- SB Nation

[hawkmanreturns]

The Suns appear to have no interest in winning another game this season. The Hawks have looked tired the past 2 games of this road trip but I think they get this one. Looking for Trae to get 30+ tonight and for Collins to bounce back as well. I maybe asking too much for the second game of a back to back but I don't see them losing to any of the bottom 4 teams.

[Spud2nique]

Trae might want to destroy the Suns tonight. I have a feeling he truly believes the Suns should have taken him 1st overall. Tonight they pay...

On the flip side, if the Suns do make a big splash by trading for a Kyrie or a Conley and start winning post all star break, we might look back and say this was a good game to drop.

I’m so torn here...I want a win but also want what is best for us. Moving from 5th best odds to 4th might be good for us.

Let the chips fall baby!

GO HAWKS!!!

Ps Good news I’ll be watching this one live! Woohoo!

[Mr Ice]

I wonder if Len only played a couple minutes yesterday because he wanted to be fully ready for tonight.

[lethalweapon3]

They’ve had three calendar off-days for the first time all season. They host a road-weary Atlanta Hawks team that just played late yesterday, up Interstate 15 in Salt Lake City. And their first-overall draft pick from 2018’s Draft, after missing six games due to a sprained ankle, returns to action at the soon-to-be-renovated Talking Stick Resort Arena, reportedly feeling “sensational” (as per the Arizona Republic) ahead of his return.

We talk about how things can look good on paper, but these are the Phoenix Suns we’re talking about.

Because the going for rookie Coach Igor Kokoskov and his Suns (11-42) has been so rough, let’s suggest that the optics looking ahead to tonight’s game (9 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Arizona) should be viewed as if they’re on sandpaper.

Posting a rookie-high 27 double-doubles (Atlanta guard Trae Young’s 14 ranks second), Deandre Ayton (10.6 RPG, most by a rook since Blake Griffin; 59.4 FG%) has been Ay-Okay in his rookie campaign. In any ordinary season, no one would be hyperventilating about the ways either Ayton or Young (28 points, 9 assists, 2 TOs @ UTA last night) have produced out of the blocks.

Piling up the points shouldn’t be a problem for Phoenix tonight. Even without Ayton, the Suns walked into San Antonio on Tuesday and, behind a season-high 38 points from Devin Booker (14-for-19 FGs @ SAS; 5th-youngest NBA player to reach 5,000 career points), shot the ball at a season-high 60.0 percent clip.

Oh, and yet, they still lost. Falling short, 126-124, to the Spurs has Coach Koko’s Suns returning home in hopes they don’t lose ten straight games for the second time this season.

It has been “steal or bust” for Phoenix’s halfcourt defense. The Suns rank second in the league with 8.9 steals per game, which is the good news. But when opponents manage to get shots up, the Suns, with their bigs out of position and their wings diving for deflections and steals, struggle to secure defensive boards.

Phoenix posts a league-worst 69.0 D-Reb%, as exemplified on Tuesday by LaMarcus Aldridge (29 points, 8 O-Rebs, 9-for-10 FTs), the key Spur who kept the Suns from stealing a rare road win. Phoenix can only hope Atlanta’s John Collins (zero O-Rebs last night) hasn’t regathered himself after a near-deserved ebb in board play (6.2 RPG last five games) during this road excursion.

Despite a loss to the Nets on January 9, the Baptist blessed Brooklyn with 30 points and 14 rebounds in the Hawks’ last road back-to-back game. As noted above, the Suns also hope Alex Len (under 9 minutes yesterday @ UTA) doesn’t plan on showing off what a 7-foot-1 lottery talent looks like with staff sincerely committed to developing him.

The Suns are without T.J. Warren (sore ankle, missed last 4 games), Kokoskov sliding an undersized Josh Jackson into the starting power forward spot. Warren and guard De’Anthony Melton (out, sprained ankle, missed last 3 games) are behind only lotto-rookie swingman Mikal Bridges (1.5 SPG) in the Suns’ steal brigade.

Both Warren and Melton will be sorely missed against the Hawks (NBA-high 10.6 opponent steals per-48; the Suns’ 8.9 rank 2nd-worst). Atlanta shot poorly as a team but was uncharacteristically stingy with the rock (11 player TOs) in yesterday’s 128-112 loss to the Jazz, good enough to cling to a halftime lead.

Ryan McDonough got the heave-ho as Phoenix’s GM right at the start of the season, largely since the Suns’ once stocked cupboard of experienced ballhandlers was pretty bare one week before the season tipped off. The injury to Melton (48th pick in the 2018 Draft) leaves 2018’s top second-round pick, Elie Okobo (18 assists through 7 starts), starting as the sole traditional point guard available. Kokoskov shifts Booker and Jamal Crawford to the lead play-setter role to help patch things up.

Moving vets Tyson Chandler and Trevor Ariza onto greener (less brown, at least) pastures further exposed the Suns’ defensive woes. After a bit of who’s-on-first humor, Ariza was shipped out of Arizona, eventually, to bring Kelly Oubre into the fold from Washington. Defense has never been Oubre’s strong suit, nor has it been the case for Booker, Ayton, Jackson, or reserves Crawford, Ryan Anderson, and Dragan Bender (questionable, thumb sprain).

Veterans Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki recently got the Commissioner’s Pass into this month’s All-Star Game, and a year or two from now, Jamal will be in line for the same. With the 11 points the former Hawk will most assuredly get tonight, J-Craw will surpass Eddie Johnson (conveniently in the building as the Suns’ TV color analyst) for the highest career scoring total by an NBA player never to appear in the mid-season classic.

Today’s face-off will feature the two worst NBA defenses in terms of opponent points off turnovers (Atlanta 22.6 per-48, Phoenix 19.5) and opponent second-chance scoring (Suns 14.9 per-48, Hawks 14.6), and the worst and third-worst defenses for opponent fastbreaks (Hawks 17.4 per-48, Suns 15.4). Whether the Hawks can overcome fatigue to crash the offensive boards but get back in proper defensive positions versus Booker, Ayton, and bailout shooters like Bridges and Troy Daniels remains to be seen.

This is the final Western game destination for Coach Lloyd Pierce’s Hawks (16-35) before the big Trade Deadline on Thursday, and it appears the supporting cast has one eye at the basket and the other one looking over their shoulders.

The Hawks’ backups were literal non-starters in SLC on Friday (10-for-36 FGs, 2 assists among 8 players), perhaps wondering if they’ll be catching another plane after the game. If any Hawks are indeed headed to Western Conference locales soon, it would be nice to at least save them some frequent flyer mileage before the scene shifts to Washington on Monday night.

With Suns exec James Jones suddenly thrust in charge as the new GM, Kokoskov effectively became a lame-duck coach before the preseason ended. Accordingly, Igor needs some good showings by his charges in front of the dwindling home crowd – Houston and Golden State are the final two visitors to The Stick before the All-Star Break, so this is as big a must-win for him and his staff as you’ll find.

Given the Suns’ sense of urgency, combined with the time granted for rest and practice, go ahead and jot this down as a schedule loss for our traveling Hawks.

On second thought, be sure to jot that L down in pencil. And keep an eraser handy.

Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3

[ducler]

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[HMFFL]

Phoenix is favored by 2 points.

Sent from my SM-N920P using RealGM mobile app

[lethalweapon3]

Fight a ton of offensive fire with a ton of offensive fire! (and maybe a showcase game, too? I dunno!)

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~lw3

[peoriabird]

Fight a ton of offensive fire with a ton of offensive fire! (and maybe a showcase game, too? I dunno!)


~lw3

Let me guess...All of these scouts will be tuning into Hawks/Suns tonight and Prince will play 40 minutes and look like an all star. You conspiracy theorist kill me!

[lethalweapon3]

Fight a ton of offensive fire with a ton of offensive fire! (and maybe a showcase game, too? I dunno!)


~lw3

Let me guess...All of these scouts will be tuning into Hawks/Suns tonight and Prince will play 40 minutes and look like an all star. You conspiracy theorist kill me!

No no no that's not all! Ainge is gonna watch Taurean the DeLorean go off, call Trader Trav and be like, "Take ALL my Unprotected picks, please!", and Trav gon' be like, "aight, bet."

Wake up, sheeple! Roswell, NM is just one state to the east!

~lwarea51

[lethalweapon3]

The last time Taurean stared directly into the Suns.

Watch on YouTube

~lw3

[jayu70]

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[hawkmanreturns]

Collins showing off the post moves.

[lethalweapon3]

Hawks staying afloat off some TOUGH shots. Just two assisted baskets so far, gotta get the supporting cast unglued.

Herrrrrrrre's Jamal... Go Hawks!

~lw3

[Hazer]

Fight a ton of offensive fire with a ton of offensive fire! (and maybe a showcase game, too? I dunno!)


~lw3

Let me guess...All of these scouts will be tuning into Hawks/Suns tonight and Prince will play 40 minutes and look like an all star. You conspiracy theorist kill me!

Yup, GMs and coaches showcasing trade pieces near the trade deadline is definitely a conspiracy

[Hazer]

‘Nique coining new phrases out there. Never heard “feed’im and fan’im” from him before

[jayu70]

‘Nique coining new phrases out there. Never heard “feed’im and fan’im” from him before

You never heard him say that before???. He has.

[lethalweapon3]

They playin' Bad. Sket. Balllll...
We love that Bad. Sket. Balllll!

Oubre NEVER lets me down... I need some more popcorn already. Go Hawks!

~lw3

[jayu70]

I love othe fan bases reaction when the get a taste of John Collins for the first time....

Collins is a beast...holy ****

[lethalweapon3]

Not even a minute into this quarter and I'm exasperated. For both teams!

One day these two teams are gonna be the NBA Finals and we'll be all reminiscent of games like this.

~lw3