Brendon Kleen and Ben Garcia here, the hosts of the daily Locked On Suns podcast, with your daily Locked On Suns newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Suns and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Devin Booker Breaks Out Of Slump and Into a Mood
Nov 18, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) talks to referee John Butler (30) during the first half of an NBA game against the Orlando Magic at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images|Rick Scuteri/Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Almost exactly a year ago, ironically against this very same Knicks team, the conversation around Kevin Durant’s body language and moodiness hit a fever pitch here in the Valley.
The Suns were still a month away from getting their full team on the court together, and a collision with a Knicks player five minutes into that Dec. 15 game put Bradley Beal back on the injured list with a sprained ankle. The frustration mounted for Durant, who could be seen ripping into teammates on the court, playing angry at times.
Postgame after Jalen Brunson’s 50 piece dropped the Suns to 11-6 on the season, Durant was asked about Brunson’s breakout start to the year. Durant not-so-cryptically responded that Brunson was succeeding because the franchise had built a team that suited him, and empowered him to lead it. The message was clear: Durant didn’t feel that was happening in Phoenix.
That record-scratch moment wasn’t quite recreated Wednesday night at Footprint Center, but it felt pretty similar. Without Durant and Beal, the Suns were hapless. The defense allowed 44 points in the first quarter to New York, which ended up being the margin of the game. A few nice runs couldn’t overcome the early hole.
The rest of the game, Booker’s body language and moodiness became the story. If you’ve watched Booker throughout his career, you know how easy it is for him to become distracted by the officiating. He has a chip on his shoulder, one he sometimes channels into apex predator scoring masterpieces but often simply distracts him.
A particularly ugly example came midway through the second quarter, when Booker tried and failed to take advantage of a mismatch against the smaller Brunson. Booker drove along the baseline, felt contact, and chucked a shot, expecting a foul. WHen he didn’t get it, Booker meandered toward halfcourt while his teammates played 4-on-5 defense on the other end. By the time the action came back his way, Booker continued to check out. The Suns moved the ball until it found their best player again, who had slumped at the top of the arc. Rather than value the possession and overcome his visible frustration, Booker threw up a wild 3 that clanked out.
It’s one thing for Booker to slump as he did early in the season. We can look past games where the defense takes him out of rhythm because of how little scoring punch there is around him. But it helps nobody when Booker lets his emotions take over the way he did on Wednesday night.
Sure, Booker redeemed himself with a solid fourth quarter and a pristine box score stat line. But like with Durant a year ago, the mentality that Booker is displaying on the court is at best a distraction and at worst a detriment as the Suns look to get themselves out of a five-game losing streak.
A refrain I’ve increasingly heard from casuals, like the talking heads on the NBA’s biggest broadcast partners, is that the league is too homogenous these days, that every team just goes out there and chucks up threes. Every game is the same.
Leaving aside the shortsightedness of famous, influential media analysts dumping on their own product, it’s a common enough complaint that I felt an urge to investigate. My eyeballs tell me the league’s never been more diverse and fun, thanks largely to the absurd wealth of stars today with skill sets as bespoke as their draft night suits. Jokic’s Nuggets look nothing like Tatum’s Celtics look nothing like Brunson’s Knicks, and to suggest otherwise is willful ignorance.
As I wrote about for Basketball Poetry yesterday, the current top five offenses are Boston, Cleveland, New York, the Lakers, and Dallas. Those five teams rank first, 14th, 17th, 24th, and 21st, respectively, in share of shots that are triples. You certainly don’t need to launch a million threes relative to your peers to score the basketball successfully.
Of course, that’s a rather superficial analysis. Regardless of rank, what if the absolute numbers are all getting closer together? That would represent a growing sameness.
I looked at shot data from this season, a decade ago, and 20 years ago to see how much the share of three-pointers had changed.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Preview The Suns host the Knicks tonight at Footprint Center. Read the preview. (NBA.com)
Analysis How the Cavaliers’ offseason plan has turned them into the top team in the league so far this year. (ESPN)
Milestone Russell Westbrook becomes the first player in NBA history to record 200 triple-doubles. (CBS Sports)
Must Read The NBA’s three-point revolution has gotten extreme, begging the question: How many is too many?(The Washington Post)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
The Randomness Of Fantasy Basketball On A Wednesday In The NBA
Nov 20, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images|Petre Thomas/Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Top Five Fantasy Takeaways from Wednesday’s Games
1. Paul George’s Knee Injury Concerns
Paul George’s knee hyperextension during the 76ers vs. Grizzlies game is a significant concern for fantasy managers. While initial reports suggest no structural damage, his availability in the coming games is uncertain. This situation could open up opportunities for other players on the 76ers to step up, making it crucial to monitor updates closely.
2. Unpredictable Pelicans vs. Cavaliers Game
The Pelicans vs. Cavaliers matchup was a bizarre affair, with unexpected lineups and performances. Elfrid Payton started for the Pelicans, and Jaylon Tyson shone for the Cavs, but these anomalies are unlikely to have long-term fantasy implications. Managers should view this game as an outlier and avoid making hasty roster changes based on these performances.
3. Pacers’ Struggles and Tyrese Haliburton’s Slump
The Pacers are facing challenges, particularly with Tyrese Haliburton’s shooting woes. His road performance has been notably poor, possibly due to lingering back issues. Despite this, Haliburton’s track record suggests a turnaround is likely, making him a prime buy-low candidate for managers willing to take a risk on his recovery.
Click the button below to see how Norman Powell’s injury could open up opportunities for the Clippers, and a top 50 player returns to action.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Suns podcasts.
Phoenix Suns No-Show 5th Straight Loss To Knicks, Is the Issue Bigger Than Injuries?
The Phoenix Suns gave up a season-worst 138 points and looked lifeless for much of their fifth straight loss to the New York Knicks. Brendon Kleen and Ben Garcia break down the loss, including how much blame Devin Booker deserves and why the defense was so ugly just days after several solid performances.
The Kevin Durant Balancing Act Plus Are the Phoenix Suns Any Closer To An Answer At Center?
As the Phoenix Suns await the return of Kevin Durant, are there ways to balance his workload while still winning and building chemistry? Brendon Kleen and Ben Garcia debate KD’s minutes and role before diving into three-headed monster at center and whether the Suns are any closer to addressing that weakness. To close, a preview of Suns-Knicks on Wednesday night.
Phoenix Suns Outmatched By Orlando Magic As Devin Booker Gets Bottled Up Again
The Phoenix Suns lost a third straight game to a tough defensive Orlando Magic team as Devin Booker went quiet once again. Brendon Kleen and Ben Garcia react to another Suns L, including why Booker struggled, why they lost, and how they could have overcome Orlando.
