After a brief, wedding-related hiatus, Take That For Data is back! On the latest episode, Gerald Bourguet and Stephen Pridgeon-Garner are here to try and make sense of this Jekyll and Hyde Phoenix Suns team.
On the one hand, the Suns have plenty of Achilles heels to worry about, including their defense, a well-documented turnover problem, a 3-point differential that leaves a lot to be desired, a short center rotation, and an occasionally stagnant offense.
On the other hand, they have three certified bucket-getters in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, who can tip the scales in Phoenix’s favor at any time. The Suns have been solid when they’ve been healthy, they’re unstoppable when they move the ball and get up 3s, and role players like Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale have stepped up in a big way.
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Take That For Data: Suns Achilles heels and positive signs for the playoffs
- 0:00 Intro
- 3:08 Achilles heel #1: Defense
- 6:35 Achilles heel #2: Lack of size
- 11:26 Achilles heel #3: Center depth
- 18:05 Achilles heel #4: Turnovers
- 24:35 Achilles heel #5: Continuity and 3-point differential
- 26:00 Why a point guard wouldn’t fix the turnover problem
- 32:15 Promising sign #1: Suns are still great when healthy
- 34:30 Promising sign #2: Big 3 is deadly in a playoff environment
- 38:05 Promising sign #3: Bradley Beal filling needs within Big 3
- 42:25 Promising sign #4: Elite shot-making
- 44:28 Promising sign #5: Jusuf Nurkic’s value as an initiator, connector and short roll playmaker
- 48:18 Promising sign #6: Offensive process built more for playoffs
- 52:45 Promising sign #7: Grayson Allen
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