Three Storylines to Watch in Spurs-Suns
PHOENIX -- We're just hours away from opening tip between the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs, though most of the national attention will be focused on just a few blocks over at Chase Field, where the Arizona Diamondbacks are hosting the World Series at the same time.
Phoenix hopes to make a championship push of their own, but the necessary building blocks of the early regular season must first be endured.
Tonight's matchup comes against the notable Gregg Popovich, who has led the Spurs for decades now. After a few years of mediocrity, San Antonio won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes and the future looks as bright as ever for the Spurs.
Wemby will make his first appearance in Phoenix tonight, and that's where we'll start the storylines to watch:
Watching Wemby
Wembanyama is as freakish as they come. NBA players such as Steph Curry previously suggested he's similiar to a created MyPlayer from the NBA 2K franchise, and the prospects of his build - and play - aren't far off.
The frenchman stands at 7-foot-4 with an eight-foot wingspan. At just 19-years-old, it's scary when evaluating his potential.
The rookie phenom will be sure to make a few splash plays tonight. Win or lose, fans should get their entertainment value back.
Stars Aren't Aligning
Both Bradley Beal and Devin Booker have been ruled out ahead of tonight's matchup, and both have missed all three games to start the season (aside from Booker playing in the season opener vs Golden State).
Durant has been the only star healthy in Phoenix, though he's undoubtedly doing his part by averaging 27.7 points on 47.5% shooting from the field with 8.3 rebounds and four assists per night.
Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon have both started the past two games for Phoenix, and that likely is the combination moving forward until both stars return.
In their absence, Suns depth pieces such as Yuta Watanabe and Jordan Goodwin have flashed some potential thanks to open spots in the rotation.
It again will be the KD and friends show at the Footprint Center, though Phoenix's bench should again rise to the occasion in the absence of stars.
Will Great Defense Continue?
Plenty of NBA experts prior to the season had several questions on Phoenix's ability to defend. Through the team's 2-1 start, they've allowed a high of just 108 points to the Warriors on opening night while keeping the Los Angeles Lakers (100) and Utah Jazz (104) at bay.
Suns coach Frank Vogel has been impressed:
“So far, so good. The guys have really worked at it, they believe in what we do and in terms of contested shots; you can contest shots if everybody stays guarded. If guys are getting open, it’s tough to have a high-level contest, but they’re executing our scheme at a pretty high level and they’re doing it with a great deal of effort, hustle and scrappiness, which is what we’re asking them to do."
Phoenix's 102.7 points allowed per game is third in the NBA while their average rebound mark of 49.3 is good enough for fifth. When it comes to opponent shooting percentage, their numbers from the field (40.6%) and three-point land (24.8%) are good enough for first in both categories.
Against a Spurs team that just scored a mere 83 points in their last game, the Suns should see their success continue.
