Game Thread #2: Suns vs. Blazers

Strong start by the Suns starters to start the second preseason game.

Coro: Suns defensive issues and individual player breakdowns

If you have any free views left to use at AZCentral.com (I have five for the month!), consider spending one on this breakdown of the individual performances from your Phoenix Suns during Wednesday's preseason opener. Here's how Mr. Paul Coro described the Suns defensive effort.

azcentral.com staff blogs - Coro's Orange Slices blog - PaulCoro - How Suns looked in a preseason opener
Many defensive issues popped out. Their rotations in pick-and-roll defense and out of traps were lacking. They broke down after loose-ball scrambles and allowed lane penetration on the dribble. The transition defense worsened as the game went on with players sometimes getting back but just to their men and not all the way to the paint.

You'll have to decide if reading the rest of this analysis (always good) is worth using up a remaining AZCentral view.

Suns vs. Kings Video Highlights

Highlights from the Suns preseason loss to the Kings, 102-96.

Suns preseason recap: recapping the recaps

I have nothing to say about this game. I didn't watch it. I didn't listen to it. It was the first preseason game and so even if I had, I probably still would have very few conclusions to draw. An NBA season is long. An NBA preseason is nothing more than glorified practice sessions where coaches do things they don't do in real games and don't do things they will do in real games.

What I find most valuable about preseason games, aside from just getting myself back into the swing of the NBA, is watching individual players and looking at their skill set, changes from anything I'd seen in the past, and get a general sense of who they are on the court. But even that is just one small data point in what will be a large volume of information.

You read Alex's recap of the Suns loss to the Kings. Here's a quick recap of what others wrote about the game. Needless to say, there's not a lot out there which is indicative how unimportant this game was.

Valley of the Suns had some interesting thoughts on Kendall Marshall. Since I didn't see the game, I can't comment on the specifics, but I get the feeling we're going to see a lot of mixed reviews on the rookie this year.

People who liked him in college and want to see him do well will focus on the positives in his game. Those who are skeptical will see the negatives. Marshall will almost certainly give both camps plenty of ammo.

New era of Suns basketball begins with loss in Sacramento
Arguably the most notable performance in Tuesday’s loss came from the Suns’ first-round draft pick, Kendall Marshall. Due to Dragic’s foul problems and an injury that sidelined Sebastian Telfair, the No. 13 pick from June’s draft played a team-high 28 minutes and showed several glimpses of what he’s capable of doing in an up-tempo offensive scheme. Like most of his teammates, though, Marshall struggled to get comfortable in the half court — accruing three turnovers and just four points on 1-for-6 shooting — but his consistent aggression despite mistakes and a double-digit fourth quarter deficit was very encouraging.

Here's some thoughts from a Kings fan who was at the game:

Kings open preseason with 102-96 win over Suns - Sactown Royalty
T-Rob is relentless on defense. very much a get in your face and hands everywhere. Very quick sidesteps as well. (James) Johnson has great timing on his blocks. very defensively active as well. Tyreke did look a little lost to me on the court. Defensively has was active but didn’t close out on jump shots by Beasely in the beginning.

And from NBA.com, here's the video recap of the game and the game book which you can download and use to break down stats by quarter (if you are so inclined).

Friday's home game against the Trail Blazers will be televised (and be at home) so I'm sure there will be more written about that.

Happy first day after a game day day.

Game Recap: Phoenix Suns Drop First Preseason Game, 102-96, to Kings

The Phoenix Suns lost their first game of the preseason tonight 102-96 to the Sacramento Kings. DeMarcus Cousins lead the way for the Kings with 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Michael Beasley had the Suns' best all-around game (stats below).

The game started out promising enough with the Suns scoring 30 points in the first quarter, including 10 by Michael Beasley. Goran Dragic finished the first quarter with four assists and one basket.

Then the bench unit came in and, as is usually the way, the Suns struggled to score. They got only 18 points in the second quarter (11 of them by Wesley Johnson) and went into halftime with a one-point deficit.

DeMarcus Cousins loves playing the undersized Suns, dominating in the paint and on the glass.

The Kings beat the Suns to most loose balls in the second half, most pointedly at the end of the third quarter where the Kings got 4 straight offensive possessions, though somehow the Kings didn't score.

So the Kings just kept trying for more 4-shot possessions and got a few. Overall, the Kings outrebounded the Suns bigtime in the second half. On top of that, the Suns were falling for pump fakes,or not reacting in time to actual shot attempts. Just guessing wrong most of the time.

Kendall Marshall played like a rookie, missing his open jump shots and allowing himself to get rattled a bit with pressure. But more than anything, Marshall did not make an attempt to take over the game.

Most of the Suns looked like they didn't know exactly which plays would work and which would not, which is to be expected in a new offense. Especially amongst the non-starters who have not established themselves in the NBA yet.

Sacramento got a lot of rebounds, both offensive and defensive. They are long and Cousins is thick, as is Chuck Hayes (though he is not tall).

Kings went on a 16-5 run at the beginning of the fourth quarter, playing such luminaries as James Johnson, Chuck Hayes, Thomas Robinson, Jimmer Fredette and John Salmons to take a 15-point lead. Ouch. To be fair, the Suns were playing youngsters and new players to the team.

Offensive rebounds. Layups. Dunks. Transition buckets. Offensive rebounds. Transition buckets. Offensive rebounds.

The Suns just didn't come out ready to play in the second half.

Stats:
• Wes Johnson has a good game:, scoring 18 points on 7/15 shooting
• Markieff Morris played well in spurts, with 16 points and 7 rebounds (though only 5/13 from the floor)
• Kendall Marshall couldn't make a shot (1/5 with a layup) and had but 4 assists (though teammates missing shots didn't help him) and 3 turnovers in 28 minutes
• Michael Beasley played only in the first and third quarter, getting 14 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals (along with 3 turnovers) in 24 minutes.
• PJ Tucker got himself 7 rebounds (tied with 2 others for team lead) and 2 steals before getting a stinger in the shoulder and having to leave in the 4th. He also played spirited defense on the perimeter. He could be a good sparkplug as long as you don't want him to score (0/6 from the field).
• Goran Dragic played only 15 minutes after collecting 4 fouls in the first half. He scored 7 points in rapid succession in the third period, briefly giving the Suns the lead. Their last lead. For the game: 9 pts, 4 assists, 3 turnovers.
• Jermaine O'Neal had 4 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks in 18 minutes - similar to the last backup C.
• Marcin Gortat and Luis Scola did not play a whole lot, and did not impact the game much while they were in there (16 pts, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks in a combined 47 minutes)
• Overall, the Suns shot just 41% from the field and 65% on free throws.

Gamethread: Suns at Kings, 7PM AZ Time

Let's go!

Game Preview: Preseason Game 1 - Phoenix Suns at Sacramento

The Phoenix Suns kick off their preseason slate against another bottom-feeding team with playoff aspirations. Will either team live up to it's hopes and dreams?