Locked On Suns - Daily Podcast On The Phoenix Suns

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LOCKED ON SUNS 12/9/18: Instant reaction to the 2018 Jerry Colangelo Classic Dec 09, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode, we come to you live from Talking Stick Resort Arena immediately following the Tennessee-Gonzaga game at the 2018 Jerry Colangelo Classic.

After seeing Deandre Ayton in-person at this even last year, what were our thoughts on this year’s crop of top prospects? Rui Hachimura stood out for Gonzaga, and he could be a fit next to Ayton if the Suns put together some more consistent winning efforts.

Brandon Clarke, a Phoenix native, really showed out on Sunday for the Bulldogs in a loss. Clarke has extreme bounce and athleticism, which was displayed on both ends often against the Volunteers. Do we envision Clarke as a riser for the 2019 class? Absolutely.

Finally, we hit on the star of the game: Admiral Schofield. Tennessee’s veteran leader has not only dramatically transformed his physical profile under head coach Rick Barnes, but Schofield’s improved shooting stroke could really help boost his stock later on. In Tennessee’s victory, Schofield poured in 30 points, 25 of which we’re in the second half.

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LOCKED ON SUNS 12/6/2018: Deandre Ayton's mysterious illness the big story in 108-86 loss Dec 06, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode, we highlight the three most intriguing players who stood out for one reason or another in the Suns’ second consecutive blowout loss, 108-86 in Portland.

Benched with an “illness,” Deandre Ayton came off the bench for the first time in his career but failed to make an impact despite checking in three minutes into each half and playing mostly with the starters. He struggled against Portland center Jusuf Nurkic.

We also saw extended run for Dragan Bender, whose energy was welcome in another game marked by unsightly slogging.

Finally, we break down De’Anthony Melton’s second night of real NBA action. The shot didn’t fall, but Melton still made his mark.

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LOCKED ON SUNS 12/5/18: Talking 2019 draft with Jackson Hoy of The Stepien Dec 05, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode, NBA Draft writer Jackson Hoy of The Stepien joins to break down the top of the 2019 class.

From Zion Williamson’s generational talent to R.J. Barrett’s scoring to Cam Reddish’s 3-and-D profile, we swing through all of Duke’s stars. Then, we finish up with Nassir Little from North Carolina and a rapid fire on a couple mid-to-late-lottery candidates.

We discuss how our impressions of all four projected top picks have changed since the summer and how each would fit in Phoenix.

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LOCKED ON SUNS 12/4/18: De'Anthony Melton shined while everyone else struggled in loss to Kings Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode, we come to you live from Talking Stick Resort Arena recapping the Phoenix Suns’ latest loss, a 112-105 outing where they trailed 36-9 at one point.

De’Anthony Melton was the star of the game on his way to tallying up 21 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal in only 23 minutes. Should he start the next game and beyond over Elie Okobo?

Deandre Ayton also had another performance where he struggled mightily. The No. 1 pick in the draft only played 21 minutes, and never came back in after a rough sequence in the second half where he watched two defenders go right by him. Is Ayton hitting the rookie wall, and how can he bounce back? We discussed this plenty.

Finally, Mikal Bridges also seems to be hitting his own rookie wall struggling to shoot the ball from deep. After an outing where he went 0-7 on three-pointers, yet still provided solid on-ball defense, how will the Suns’ No. 10 overall pick fit into their new lineup without Devin Booker?

In the Suns’ latest blowout defeat, we decided to deviate away from the usual ‘Free Throws’ and ‘Flagrant Fouls’ to hone in on these three rookies instead. The usual format will return on Thursday when Phoenix faces Portland.

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LOCKED ON SUNS 12/3/2018: Devin Booker is hurt again and the Suns are interested in Frank Ntilikina Dec 03, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode, we briefly discuss the Lakers loss before digging into two bigger pieces of news from the weekend.

During Sunday’s 120-96 loss to Los Angeles, Devin Booker re-aggravated the left hamstring injury that cost him games earlier in the year. He will be out indefinitely — will the Suns win any games while he sits?

And when Booker finally comes back, the urgency to find a point guard to relieve him as a playmaker will go up a notch. Could Frank Ntilikina, whom Knicks reporter Ian Begley reported was a target for the Suns earlier this season, be that guy?

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LOCKED ON SUNS 11/30/18: Minus Booker and Warren, the Suns can't keep up with the Magic Nov 30, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode, we break down the Suns’ 98-85 loss to Orlando at home without Devin Booker or T.J. Warren.

It was Elie Okobo’s first start in weeks and coach Igor Kokoskov brought out Ryan Anderson and Troy Daniels to manufacture spacing, meaning the rotations were drastically different.

We discuss the good and bad of Josh Jackson’s high-volume playmaking night as well as a lot on Trevor Ariza’s waxing and waning effort.

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LOCKED ON SUNS 11/29/18: Listener mailbag at the quarter point of the season Nov 29, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode, we answer Twitter mailbag questions on the state of the Suns through 20 games.

Topics include:Is there a future for Markelle Fultz in Phoenix?How do the Suns best use Trevor Ariza as a trade chip?What portion of the blame this year falls on coaching versus roster construction?Did the Suns miss out on their chance to strike gold on a superstar trade?

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LOCKED ON SUNS 11/28/18: Back-to-back trip gets to Suns in loss to Clippers Nov 28, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode, we break down the first poor showing in a while from the Suns, a 115-99 loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Clippers, coming off two nights of rest, throttled the Suns in the second half, led by Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. They also gave Deandre Ayton a peculiar matchup between Harrell’s punch-you-in-the-mouth energy and Boban Marjanovic’s ridiculous length and efficency.

In the end, it was too much for Phoenix, despite consistent effort and a career night for rookie Elie Okobo as the new (for now) backup point guard.

We also touch briefly on Isaiah Canaan’s release.

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LOCKED ON SUNS 11/27/18: Growth continues to be shown in closely contested loss to Pacers Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, we go through our usual ‘Free Throws’, ‘Flagrant Fouls’, and ‘Stats to Watch’ from tonight’s 109-104 loss at home to the Indiana Pacers.

The Suns are sitting atop the reverse standings for the first time all season, but that might not be for long with how they are playing on both sides of the ball. Not only is Devin Booker functioning as the primary ball handler, but his effort on defense is visibly better over the past week.

Also, Josh Jackson and T.J. Warren seem to be rounding into form over this sash stretch as well. Jackson is continuing to play more within himself while not forcing mistakes, while Warren’s newfound three-level scoring attack is turning into one of the league’s more efficient scorers from all areas.

We also spoke on Deandre Ayton’s double-double, even though it seems the Suns are still trying to strike a balance between feeding him the ball while running effective perimeter sets.

Is this team starting to turn a corner? Find out as we discuss that idea, plus plenty more on our latest episode.

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LOCKED ON SUNS 11/26/18: Devin Booker is back and the Suns are getting better Nov 26, 2018

Show notes

On today’s episode, we break down what is behind the Suns’ big improvements over the past two weeks, from Devin Booker’s quick recovery from nagging hamstring problems to Trevor Ariza returning to ordinary on offense.

The Suns are simplifying their system to take advantage of the Booker-Deandre Ayton two-man game with Booker the nominal point guard, and the offense is taking off.

Defensively, Ariza’s more consistent effort and the larger presence of Mikal Bridges has lifted the team to a league-average mark the past six games.

Finally, a quick preview of this week’s slate of games in which the Suns can take advantage of their growth.

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