Isaiah Thomas, Gerald Green keying strong bench play for Phoenix Suns
Nov 11, 2014, 10:49 PM | Updated: 10:49 pm
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Seven games is too small a sample size to draw definitive conclusions, but one hypothesis worth examining further is just how important bench play will be when determining how successful the Phoenix Suns will be in 2014-15.
Prior to the season, the team’s depth — thanks to the additions of Isaiah Thomas and Anthony Tolliver — was looked at as a major strength.
Nothing has dispelled that belief 14 days into the season.
The Suns’ bench averages 41.4 points per game, which ranks third-best in the NBA behind Milwaukee (45.4) and Denver (44.3).
“We always want the bench,” head coach Jeff Hornacek said. “It’s a long season. Keep guys fresh. It may not think of a big thing now, the starters say, ‘I can play 30, 35 minutes early in the season,’ but when it comes down late in the season and we have a lot of energy because our bench did a good job for us, we’ll be happy.”
Leading the bench brigade are Thomas and Gerald Green.
Among NBA reserves, Thomas (16.9) ranks third and Green (13.1) sixth in points per game when coming off the bench.
“Every NBA team that wants to be successful has to have a bench,” Green said, sweat dripping off his forehead after running sprints post-practice Tuesday. “Right now, we’re doing our job, but we’ve got to continue to get better. I know our starting unit, it’s going to be great throughout the season, and we’ve just got to go out there and help them out or be just as good as them.”
Or better, as Green and Thomas were in Sunday’s 107-95 win over previously undefeated Golden State.
Green scored 16 and Thomas 15 as the Suns outscored the Warriors 30-16 in the fourth quarter, marking the first time, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, since the second quarter at Utah on Jan. 25, 2010, that two Suns scored 15 or more points in the same period (Goran Dragic 19, Channing Frye 15).
The play of Green and Thomas convinced Hornacek to keep Dragic and Eric Bledsoe on the bench. Neither backcourt starter played a single second in the fourth quarter.
Hornacek said he nearly pulled the plug on Thomas and Green with about five minutes remaining, but “then they went on a little spurt and kicked (the lead) up to eight, so then you’re saying, ‘OK, they’re still going’ so you leave them in” to finish the game.
In that fourth quarter, two of Thomas’ three assists resulted in Green threes, continuing an early-season chemistry between the pair.
“It’s so easy playing with him,” Green said, adding their on-court relationship sparked in training camp. “He draws a lot of attention. He’s always getting into the teeth of the defense and I mean, for me, I’m a shooter so once you’re open a little bit all it takes is that much space for me to get my shot off. It just makes it easier for me.”
Between Green and Thomas, a reserve has led the team in scoring five times. The Suns have gone 4-1 in those games, including wins all three times Thomas has been the high-point player.
“I’m not saying that’s the key, but I’ve seen that too,” said Thomas, the Suns’ leading scorer. “I think the coaches have seen that when I play well, when I finish games, we’re in a better position to win — not just saying that’s just me, that’s my teammates as well, but it’s been a little key factor in that, so hopefully I keep playing well; hopefully I keep finishing games.”
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