Three Takeaways From Suns' 99-95 Loss to Mavericks
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For the first time in five games, the Phoenix Suns find themselves looking to rebound from a loss after a 99-95 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak built by the Suns and dropped Phoenix back to .500 with a record of 25-25.
Thursday was the second time in January where the Suns allowed less than 100 points and still lost.
Monty Williams wasn't too thrilled with his team's energy after the game.
“Just situational awareness, like I told the guys, ‘every possession has to be important to us.’ I don’t think it was important tonight. Across the board, I thought our bench came in with very little awareness of the game plan. I made a few subs and the energy went, focus went and then in that situation, it was not as important to us as to them, to get the ball.”
Now, the Suns make a weekend trip to San Antonio to battle the Spurs. For now, let's go through three takeaways from Thursday's loss:
1. Where in the world was Damion Lee?
On a night that didn't feature either Devin Booker or Luka Doncic, it was the perfect opportunity for shooters around the block to establish themselves. Spencer Dinwiddie established a season high with 36 points while Cam Johnson (22) pieced together back-to-back 20+ outings.
Yet where was Damion Lee?
It's not as if he didn't play, as he registered 18 minutes of action. But for the first time all season, Lee didn't shoot a single shot.
Lee's one of the best three-point shooters in the league, so whether his absence was due to Williams wanting the ball to come from other places or Lee simply being passive, that can't stand over the weekend.
2. Jason Kidd's Clears Monty Williams (Again)
Williams is one of the best coaches in the league, as nobody really stumbles upon a NBA Coach of the Year Award on accident.
Yet each time Jason Kidd and the Mavericks square off against Phoenix, it feels as if Dallas is always one step ahead of Williams and co. for whatever reasons.
That was the case in the Western Conference Semifinals where Dallas overcame a 2-0 deficit to win the series. That's largely been the case heading into Thursday, as Dallas lost to a turnaround jumper from Damion Lee before losing by 19 in their second meeting.
And, that was again the case on Thursday.
Plenty of people make the point that Phoenix (for good reason) put a lot of prep into defending a Mavericks team with Luka Doncic at the helm. Doncic then injured his ankle in the opening minutes of the game and didn't return, leaving the Suns to scramble and figure out a plan on the fly.
Here's the thing: Dallas had to do the same thing.
A matchup without Booker/Doncic comes even more down to adjustments, something Williams still has yet to master.
3. Bench Blues
Heading into the season, the Suns' bench was labeled as a massive red flag thanks to the lack of notable names.
Yet through a injury riddled season, key role players have emerged in big ways for Phoenix. Upon getting everybody healthy, there's hope that their bench - now battle tested - can be a strength heading into the postseason.
Yet Thursday's performance left plenty to be desired. The collective unit shot a mere 5-20 from the floor. Four players (Damion Lee, Saben Lee, Dario Saric, Josh Okogie) didn't score as the others (Ish Wainright, Bismack Biyombo, Jock Landale, Duane Washington) poured in a collective total of 11 points.
The long NBA season will provide some opportunities for "meh" outings down the stretch of 82 games, so perhaps tonight was just one of those nights. Yet Williams will need much more from his reserves moving forward.
