Phoenix Suns: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 season opener
2. Igor Kokoskov might be an offensive wizard
The Phoenix Suns aren’t going to shoot 19-for-34 from 3-point range (55.9 percent) every night. Josh Jackson and T.J. Warren aren’t going to both go 3-for-4 from downtown every night either.
The Suns also can’t expect Trevor Ariza to routinely drop 21-8-7 stat lines, 35 combined points from Jackson and Warren off the bench of a 35-to-11 assist-to-turnover ratio.
However, there’s also no question Kokoskov’s myriad of offensive sets were on full display from opening night, and the execution — not just the results, but the execution itself — was downright beautiful at times.
Sure, it helps having a transcendent scorer like Devin Booker but those 19 triples were tied for the fourth-most 3s in any game in franchise history, as well as tied for the most 3s in any season opener in NBA history.
The last time the Suns recorded 35 assists was their regular season finale last year, but before that, they hadn’t done it since 2011. Despite lacking an established point guard, with starter Isaiah Canaan shooting 3-for-10 from the floor, Phoenix still tallied a whopping 121 points.
Booker with 35-4-7 on 19 shots.
— sreekar (@sreekyshooter) October 18, 2018
Ayton with 18-10-6 on 11 shots.
Suns with 35 assists on 44 field goals.
This is what having an actual coach looks like.
During training camp and preseason action, the Suns were clearly still trying to learn Kokoskov’s “blender” offense. With Booker back on the floor, that offense turned the Mavs’ defense into smoothies Tuesday night, even with a lifelong backup in Canaan starting at the point.
Furthermore, although the offense turned point guard duties over to Book down the stretch, but the first-year head coach flashed a few sets that show he knows how to use the 21-year-old phenom off the ball too:
The Suns still have a lot of work to do defensively, and again, they’re not always going to shoot the ball this well, with everyone being on the exact same page. However, for opening night results with a young roster still trying to build chemistry, the Suns’ new coach lived up to his reputation of being an offensive mastermind.
It’s only one win, but this was an awfully promising start to the Igor Kokoskov era. If he can turn Warren and Jackson into competent 3-point shooters, just give him the Coach of the Year award now.