Locked On Suns - Daily Podcast On The Phoenix Suns

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LOCKED ON SUNS 1/8/19: Kelly Oubre Jr. and Richaun Holmes' energy propel Suns to comeback victory Jan 08, 2019

Show notes

On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, we come to you live from Talking Stick Resort Arena to the recap the Suns’ surprising victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Trailing by 19 points at halftime, Phoenix inserted Richaun Holmes and Kelly Oubre Jr. into the game early on in the second half. From there, the Suns closed the third quarter on a 28-12 run led by nonstop hustle and energy.

Oubre Jr. had his best game yet in a Suns uniform tying his career-high of 26 points while also stuffing the stat sheet on the defensive end with steals, blocks, and deflections. Meanwhile, Holmes continues to be so consistent on the glass and attacking defenders, which included a nasty black of Harry Giles at the rim.

Both Oubre Jr. and Holmes were the main stars for the Suns on Tuesday night, but many others stepped up and played efficient games on both ends.

At the end of their seven-game homestand, Phoenix finally notched a victory after a 5-2 east coast trip that had many thinking they finally turned the corner. Will this impressive comeback win without Booker turn into that catalyst?

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LOCKED ON SUNS 1/7/19: Twitter mailbag on the first half of the Suns' season Jan 07, 2019

Show notes

We answer all your fantastic Twitter questions from over @LockedOnPHXSuns to help review the disappointing first half of the Suns’ season.

Do not despair though, we look forward, past this dismal start to the potential for growth.

Topics include:T.J. Warren’s value on the Suns and on the trade marketThe growth and potential of rookie guards De’Anthony Melton and Elie OkoboPoint guards in the 2019 draft such as Ja Morant and Darius GarlandSummer options at power forward, from Thaddeus Young to Kevin LoveAnd much more!

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LOCKED ON SUNS 1/4/19: Latest loss to Clippers continues Suns' defensive collapse Jan 04, 2019

Show notes

On today’s episode of Locked On Suns live from Talking Stick Resort Arena, we recapped the Suns’ 121-111 loss to the Clippers. Even though the scoreboard might not show it in the end, this game never really was close.

Plagued by lackadaisical defense and effort on the glass, Phoenix trailed by as many as 30 points in this one. And over the past few games, that disturbing trend of early blowouts is showing up again.

Before we went into our main negatives from this one, we highlighted the strong play from Richaun Holmes, who you never have to worry about bringing the energy every time he steps on the floor.

However, the major red flags headlined the show as we go into Deandre Ayton’s latest struggles while examining how the Suns can fix their defense before it sinks. Should head coach Igor Kokoskov make rotation changes?

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LOCKED ON SUNS 1/3/19: New Year, new expectations for Ayton, Booker, Kokoskov Jan 03, 2019

Show notes

With 2019 officially upon us, we update our perspective on Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker and Igor Kokoskov, the core group for the Suns.

Ayton is picking up in the NBA where he left off in college, finishing over the top of defenses and imposing his physical will. Can he become a truly dominant rim protector or interior scorer?

Booker is more efficient and dishing more assists than ever, plus the Suns’ offense falls of a cliff without him. Is his ceiling higher than we thought heading into the season?

Kokoskov suffers from the rebuilding coach syndrome that so often results in a firing after a few seasons, but he’s made his impression felt on the team in a hurry. Can he stick around longer than the past few Phoenix coaches?

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LOCKED ON SUNS 1/2/19: Another rally as Suns make it close against Philadelphia Jan 02, 2019

Show notes

We break down a rough night for the Suns at home against the 76ers, Round Two of Deandre Ayton vs. Joel Embiid and another chapter in Devin Booker’s scoring saga playing Philadelphia.

The Suns suffered another massive early deficit but cut the lead all the way down to four at one point in the final period.

Topics include:Troy Daniels quietly providing the boost the Suns needed on offense (with audio from Daniels postgame)Devin Booker’s “bad” games still look pretty goodNo defense against Sixers’ stars, Joel Embiid’s monster nightReferees take center stage as teams combine for 90 free throws

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LOCKED ON SUNS 1/1/19: Breakdowns and inefficiency cost Suns third straight at home against Golden State Jan 01, 2019

Show notes

The Suns stayed competitive for the first 18 or so minutes hosting the Warriors on New Year’s Eve but ultimately lost, 132-109. We discuss what’s stopping the Suns from really breaking through against the best teams.

Topics include:Deandre Ayton making short work of every center he faces these daysTeam defense from Melton and BridgesAll three Golden State stars go off, can’t win that way

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LOCKED ON SUNS 12/31/18: Ayton’s career night, how to stop opposing point guards and the Durant-Booker connection Dec 31, 2018

Show notes

We break down how Deandre Ayton was able to put up a career-high in scoring on Saturday against Denver as well as what the Suns need to do to corral opposing point guards after getting set ablaze by Russell Westbrook and Jamal Murray over the weekend.

Tune in to hear from De’Anthony Melton himself on what the problems are checking playmakers on defense over the past few games as Westbrook and Murray combined for 86 points in back-to-back games.

We end by talking through the Devin Booker-Kevin Durant connection and whether there is anything to gain by the Suns setting their sights on Durant this summer.

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LOCKED ON SUNS 12/28/18: Suns falter in the fourth quarter behind strong outing from Russell Westbrook Dec 28, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, we recap the Suns’ loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder live from Talking Stick Resort Arena. What were our main takeaways on both ends of the spectrum?

Devin Booker’s evolution as a jumbo playmaker continues to open eyes as he puts up a near triple-double, while T.J. Warren continues to be one of the most consistent Suns all season.

Also, Mikal Bridges looks to be taking on the role of defensive leader with another outing featuring multiple steals and blocks. Is his presence coupled with the likes of Kelly Oubre Jr., De’Anthony Melton, and Josh Jackson helping shift the Suns’ mentality?

Finally, we hit on Russell Westbrook’s strong outing from OKC’s point of view. The Suns had no answers as Mr. Triple-Double himself nearly put another one on his way to a 40-point explosion.

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LOCKED ON SUNS 12/27/18: The Suns’ schedule is a tilt-a-whirl on overdrive Dec 27, 2018

Show notes

We give further thoughts on the progress the Suns made on the east coast in December and how they can keep the momentum heading back home against a murderer’s row of opponents.

Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker put together their best individual stretches of the season over the past five games and the Suns went 3-2. That’s no coincidence. Booker’s offensive versatility and defense combined with Ayton’s defensive growth are a difficult combination to deal with.

We preview Ayton’s rematches with a few West centers as well as the scoring matchups for Booker during the next seven contests, from Kemba Walker to De’Aaron Fox. Finally, we predict the Suns’ record during the homestand.

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LOCKED ON SUNS 12/26/18: Overtime luck flips in Suns’ 122-120 win over Magic Dec 26, 2018

Show notes

We break down the Suns’ exciting 122-120 victory over the Magic on the road to finish their December swing across the East Coast an impressive 3-2.

Topics include: This is the Devin Booker we expected to see in OctoberDeandre Ayton besting Nikola Vucevic in Round TwoLong, 3-and-D wings come in handyKelly Oubre looks right at home in PhoenixCarrying the momentum back home to start the New Year

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