What We Learned From Suns' Ugly Loss to Pelicans

PHOENIX -- Right when it once again seemed as if something was beginning to materialize for the Phoenix Suns over the last week, something went wrong.

Kevin Durant sprained his ankle in Tuesday night's victory over the San Antonio Spurs - and it was assumed that the Suns could go at least 2-1 over the corresponding road trip to the East Coast.

Well - the loss to the New Orleans Pelicans means it is a necessity to sweep the trip to Florida to seize a 2-1 road trip ahead of another sizable break.

The loss to the Pelicans was inexcusable no matter how re-fortified the roster was last night - here are three key observations that could be taken out of the loss, both good and bad.

Team Defense Faltered When it Mattered... Again

Royce O'Neale Appears to be Back on Track

Grayson Allen Flexes Playmaking Chops

The team defense has fallen short in virtually every contest that Durant hasn't played this season - and Ryan Dunn's absence is just what the Pelicans ordered.

Brandon Ingram had his absolute way getting to his spots in the midrange game while also making an unexpected impact on defense. C.J. McCollum and Dejounte Murray both experienced efficient outings. Trey Murphy III and Brandon Boston Jr. made their unmistakable marks off of the bench - there is just entirely no rational expectation for the lapses we saw last night despite the Pelicans getting closer to returning to full health.

Brandon Ingram's game is smooth and polished. He's easily a top five small forward in the game on pure ability. It's sad that it didn't work in New Orleans. Culture and environment is everything. He can elevate so many teams. pic.twitter.com/HO4vZ7NF7B
— Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) December 6, 2024

In a glimmer of silver lining - O'Neale looks to be returning back to being more of the player that was seen in the first two weeks of the season compared to the ice-cold stretch from November 10-18.

The first full-year Sun did his absolute best to make up for the major losses on the wing - with a particular moment in which a three-point hit, steal, and dunk brought the Suns back within one after being down 6 just 20 seconds prior.

O'Neale was a phenomenal acquisition in February and continues to be an awesome fit, particularly in Mike Budenholzer's offense. Getting back on track is of utmost importance moving forward - especially with the probable unpredictability surrounding overall roster health.

Perhaps the most encouraging result of the last two weeks has been the continued growth from Allen in his newfound role.

Allen is continuing to gradually improve at the subtleties of the game - and has utilized his sneaky athleticism to create advantages that aren't typically created by someone such as Tyus Jones - despite Jones being a great passer.

Relocation, split drive, euro step, off-hand finish

1 of many impressive drives tonight from Grayson Allen

As he's gotten more rhythm the last 2.5 weeks, his drives have really popped — vs a set defense or, like here, with the defense in rotation

The subtle lift before the… pic.twitter.com/uIYlB3ruz3
— Stephen 🏁 | bsky: StephenPG3 (@StephenPG3) December 6, 2024

Allen's pressuring of the paint lead directly to 10 assists - and the trend of Allen becoming a creator for others can certainly continue with Phoenix top 10 in virtually every passing metric.

Allen's recent surge in play could either make him one of the five most important players on the squad moving forward this season - or could make him a valuable trade chip for an upgrade in the frontcourt.

Either way, that is absolutely worth monitoring going into the middle quartile. of the season.

As for what comes next for the Suns - they will play back-to-back contests against the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic this weekend as previously mentioned before playing the Utah Jazz on the road next Friday.

The next three games could be another litmus test to see just how far along this squad is - and could be a prime opportunity to add three wins to the total.