Takeaways From Suns' Victory Over Wizards

PHOENIX -- Saturday night was an eventful one for the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns did indeed manage to move to 23-21 on the season after a 119-109 victory over the Washington Wizards - but Phoenix head coach Mike Budenholzer was dealt a bad hand within the first two minutes of the game.

Rookie starter Ryan Dunn suffered an ankle sprain in the infant stages of the game - the Suns had to adapt quickly.

Fortunately, the overall roster talent was enough to overcome potential frustrations - there was much to take out of the victory - good and bad.

Nick Richards once again looked the part of a long-term piece in the Valley.

The newest member of the Suns has now had two high-end displays in four games with the franchise.

If you're curious how Nick Richards impression has been for Kevin Durant, just watch their interaction live in play here

Durant implores for him to re-post vs the mismatch, not something we've seen at all

Richards then makes the right play, leading to the Beal 3 pic.twitter.com/ljkLwkHVv7
— Stephen 🏁 | bsky: StephenPG3 (@StephenPG3) January 26, 2025

Richards managed to put up 20 points and 19 rebounds in what was another undeniable display of motor for the former Charlotte Hornet.

"In the 2nd game when I only had four (rebounds), they told me, we brought you here for a reason."

Those were the words of Richards after the game when asked how he was encouraged to respond to a quiet outing on Wednesday night in what was his home debut.

Richards owns the right blend of awareness, motor, athleticism, and IQ to be a great fit for the Suns. That is for the present and future - as the Suns are almost sure to re-sign the 7-footer in the off-season.

Royce O'Neale's Struggles Continue - Just a Slump, or a Reason for Concern?

O'Neale has struggled mightily since returning from a sprained ankle at around the midway point of this month - history says the swingman is a streaky player, but this season hasn't done much to justify that claim.

O'Neale's statistical profile by month this season:

October (5 games): 10.4 PPG/6.8 RPG/2.8 APG on 51.5/47.6/100 shooting splits

November (14 games): 9.2 PPG/5.6 RPG/1.9 APG on 40.2/41.3/44.4

December (12 games): 11.9 PPG/5.1 RPG/2.8 APG on 47.7/45.7/100

January (6 games): 4.7 PPG/4.7 RPG/0.8 APG on 29.4/24.1/100

O'Neale has been one of the more consistent key contributors to the team this season - this recent stretch hasn't been encouraging, but it feels like a matter of when the wing will break out of this funk.

Phoenix Defense is Still a Work in Progress

The Suns have been more successful as of late when it comes to getting timely stops - something that coach Budenholzer alluded to in his postgame press conference.

That doesn't mean that this squad doesn't have a need for significant growth on the defensive side of the ball as the All-Star break quickly approaches.

The Wizards - particularly Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma were phenomenal when it came to creating separation and picking their spots as stationary shooters.

The duo combined for 10 of the Wizards' 18 three-point hits - while they are talented shot-makers, the Suns' late game lapses remain a concern.

Losing Dunn was certainly a factor in what transpired. The team still must do a better job at hammering the basics down. Both can be true.

Both Tyus Jones and Bradley Beal looked more comfortable in their respective roles.

Jones and Beal have both enjoyed variyng degrees of success in the roles they have been handed - Jones was on an absolute tangent from mid-November to the end of 2024, but has cooled off significantly in 2025 thus far.

Beal has enjoyed a small handful of high-end showings since being relegated to the bench on January 6 - and while his days in Phoenix may be numbered, the former All-NBA guard reminded fans that he can still impact a game postively.

Beal was thrust into 39 minutes of game action after missing the previous two games with an ankle sprain - and very much succeeded in that spot, particularly in the 4 three-point hits he brought to the table.

Jones brought his signature table-setting, sweet-touch floaters, and timely positive plays to the table - and enjoyed one of his very best performances of 2025 to this point in return.

Beal and Jones will both play vital roles in Phoenix's push to climb the standings ahead of the February 6 trade deadline - and possibly the All-Star break. The franchise must see more of this version of each of them.

The next opportunity to catch the Suns in action is Monday night when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers.