Coming off of a brutal 102-101 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Phoenix Suns are holding onto the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference by a thread. Will the Suns be able to hold on until April? Can this team win a title? What’s going on with Gerald Green?
We answer all of those questions in our Phoenix Suns mailbag. Sit back and enjoy the questions from our readers.
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Is the technical foul issue really that big of a deal? – Z. Brent
Yes and no. In the grand scheme of things, getting a technical foul isn’t that big of a deal. In fact, some would argue that having the players get so fired up that they would get a technical is something that can be turned into a big positive — but that’s if it can be channeled.
Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris and P.J. Tucker all play with a big chip on their shoulder, which is a good thing. The worry isn’t a single technical, it’s the reputation that is built up by being “that guy” on the court. Coach Hornacek has been very concerned about the reputation his team is gaining and for good reason. The refs are human, too.
At the end of the day, the Suns need to do a better job of helping the players channel their energy for positive reasons. The San Antonio Spurs should be the model — they play with tons of fire, but they use a controlled fury.
Why can’t this team beat elite opponents? – C. Stewart
It’s a frustrating situation, because what makes the Suns good is what keeps them from beating elite teams. They get so hot during games that they’ll compete with anybody in the NBA, but elite teams are there for a reason — they bring it for 48 minutes.
When the shoddy teams fall off and can’t keep total focus and end up getting buried by the Suns, teams like the Grizzlies keep grinding away and don’t let the Suns run away from them.
That, and the fact that the Suns are a jump shooting team that seems to fall in love with the perimeter. You’ve heard the “live by the jumper, die by the jumper” — this team dies by the jumper because the offense goes cold and they can’t get big stops regularly. Phoenix was up seven with just over a minute left last night and totally froze.
Should they get rid of Gerald Green? – A. Anderson
Absolutely. We all know what Gerald’s strengths and weaknesses are at this point, as a guy who is a spark plug but also a guy who needs to be constantly managed. I don’t think coach Jeff Hornacek is hurting Green’s value by playing him so inconsistently, but I do think they’re going to lose Gerald emotionally (assuming they haven’t already).
Green hasn’t shot better than 50 percent in a game in the Suns last eight. During that time, he’s shooting just 37.7 percent and is averaging 1.6 turnovers and 2.0 fouls in just 15.6 minutes. He’s making more bad plays than anything and Hornacek is finally starting to punish him for it.
After playing just 14 minutes against the Washington Wizards, Green posted a DNP-CD for the first time in his Suns career against the Chicago Bulls. He played 13 minutes against the Golden State Warriors, then just over three minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies. Don’t let him rot on the bench. Get something for him now instead of let him walk after this season, when his contract is up.
Do you think Suns should be finding minutes for T.J. Warren to aide in his development for the future? – C. Reichert
For sure. I’m a big believer in getting rookies some minutes because ultimately, you can’t learn the game by watching. Having D-League assignments help players to keep in shape and keeps their competitive juices flowing, but you can’t learn the NBA game that way.
In the 15 games that Warren has appeared in (133 minutes), he’s been equal parts uncomfortable and rusty. He’s averaging 14.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per-36 minutes, but the team can’t get a good feel for his true potential without getting him some time.
Some will argue that practice is the spot for that — and I agree to an extent. The only way Warren is going to earn minutes is to work his butt off in practice. However, if this plan really is a multi-year thing, then they should find ways to get Warren quality minutes so he’ll be more prepared when his number is called.
Can the three point guard system work long-term? – M. Johnson
Yes, but there’s a major caveat — you need to have three guys who are selfless and you need to have some dominant bigs to deal with the inevitable problems on the glass. There’s only so many minutes to go around, so you’re going to find yourself with all three on the court at the same time.
When that happens, the Suns are relying heavily on a guy like Alex Len or Markieff Morris to rebound — that’s not who they are. That’s where I get nervous about the system. On the flip side, it provides a matchup nightmare for opponents because of the speed and offensive ability that they provide.
Now, can they win a championship with their current roster? No, because of the rebounding issue. You can pair those three point guards with Dwight Howard, because he can right a lot of defensive wrongs. But, Len isn’t that guy, nor is Miles Plumlee or Brandan Wright.
Will the Suns make the playoffs? – S. Scott
They’re being chased by the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New Orleans Pelicans. I have no doubts that the Suns are a better team than the Pelicans, but they’re not better than the Thunder. With that, the only way the Suns make the playoffs is if someone in front of them falls off.
Looking at the playoff picture, I can’t find a team who will fall off without a major injury. The Suns are fun, exciting and will get better — but this season, they’re the ninth-best team in the conference.
They’ve proven time and again that they’re still learning to play together and still learning how to close games. Eric Bledsoe is a star in the making, Isaiah Thomas is the best sixth man in the game and Goran Dragic is steady and tough as nails…but if you’re the second best team in the world and your game is against the best team, you’re probably going to lose.
Hate to say it, but I see a dogfight until the finish, with the Suns ultimately finishing ninth.
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