Suns Will Again Rely on Bench Play When it Matters Most
The Phoenix Suns first entered the 2022-23 season with one question mark: Bench play.
They fielded one of the better starting lineups in the league, headlined by Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Guys such as Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Deandre Ayton were capable of making some noise, too.
Yet it was Phoenix's bench that partially let them down in the postseason the year prior, and new additions such as Jock Landale, Damion Lee and Josh Okogie didn't exactly move mountains of faith for those in the NBA.
Fast-forward to present day, where the three aforementioned newcomers have played a role in trying to steady a ship that's been fairly rocky at times in Phoenix thanks to injuries. Kevin Durant's arrival meant the dismissal of Johnson/Bridges but also welcomed the talents of guys such as T.J. Warren and Terrence Ross.
Altogether, the Suns have relied on their bench more than they had hoped out of necessity. With Durant and Deandre Ayton out for their recent stretch of games, it was the role players that made their impact felt the most in a strong win over the Philadelphia 76ers that saw Phoenix get back on track.
“Our bench," answered Suns coach Monty Williams following the win over the weekend.
Bismack Biyombo held the paint down against one of the leading MVP candidates in 76ers center Joel Embiid with 17 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks down low in relief of Ayton.
"You look at the numbers, Book (Devin Booker) scored 29 in 31 minutes; that’s huge off a back-to-back and Biz (Bismack Biyombo), his defense tonight and the production we got tonight from him. Our bench production – think it’s 53 to their 17 – that’s huge on a back-to-back. Had an emotional loss last night and our guys just dug deep. You could see both teams were tired and I thought the emotional stamina was in a good place because when you play against Big Jo (Joel Embiid), he’s going to draw contact and sometimes it’s frustrating when you’re playing great defense and a big dude like that is just running into you … Off of a back-to-back, that was a huge effort in my opinion based on how last night went.”
Booker led the way with 29 points, though five other players stepped up with 13 points or more. Typical rotation guys such as Biyombo, Warren, Terrence Ross and Cameron Payne combined for 62 points.
Down the final stretch of the regular season, the Suns hope to retain full health before the NBA playoffs are here. Durant is expected to return Wednesday and Ayton is likely to play tonight when Phoenix battles the Utah Jazz. Both are obviously important pieces to the championship puzzle.
Yet Suns fans know all too well how much role players can impact a postseason series. There's been numerous instances where guys have filled bigger shoes when called upon.
There's hope Phoenix's can use their extensive experience gained over the regular season and put it to the test when it matters most.
