Suns will get indication of where they stand on ‘daunting’ 3-game run

PHOENIX — There weren’t many scenarios in which you would have gotten excited for the Phoenix Suns to play the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz over the span of four days following the team’s season and home opener.

After how good the Suns looked in a 124-95 win over the Sacramento Kings, though, there are a couple of obvious follow-ups on 1) if the Suns can keep up that level of defensive effort and overall team play, plus 2) how much of the victory had to do with how poorly the Kings played.

So, the Suns get three title contenders for us to see those answers.

When head coach Monty Williams was asked at practice Thursday how this type of development can be exciting and encouraging as a coach molding a new group, he wouldn’t go that far.

“I don’t know if it’s encouraging,” he said. “It’s daunting.”

All three of those teams won their opening game.

Friday’s road opposition, the Denver Nuggets, beat Portland by eight on the road, hitting 18 threes. MVP candidate Nikola Jokic had an “average” performance by his standards but took over when it mattered, registering 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists in the fourth quarter.

The game back at home the next day is against the Los Angeles Clippers, who beat the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night behind an imposing offensive showcase from Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers’ bench that produced 60 points from just four players.

A game against the Utah Jazz on Monday wraps that stretch up, and anytime a team can win 100-95 over the Oklahoma City Thunder when someone (Mike Conley) shoots 1-for-16 from the field, that’s a strong indicator that they were doing a lot of things right.

This three-game run is especially interesting considering that, multiple times now, Williams has emphasized about Wednesday’s win that it had to do more with the group’s energy than how structured they played.

“A lot of our productivity last night was effort,” he said. “We can get better at the schematic stuff. Obviously, it’s one game. You feel good about it, but it’s a great time to teach and our guys came in focused. We know we’re facing a tough, tough team tomorrow.”

WILLIAMS WORKING WITH AYTON

When practice ended and the media funneled in on Thursday, Williams was seen working with second-year big man Deandre Ayton on the block.

Monty working with DA pic.twitter.com/NaqbyR3gVE

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) October 24, 2019

Coaches will do first-hand work with players, inserting themselves into the teaching, but you don’t see it a ton for that extended amount of time.

From afar, Williams appeared to be emphasizing footwork with Ayton and going through some of his movements around the key and when posting up. It was particularly fascinating to watch Ayton show Williams his signature baseline fadeaway off a spin and the counter he has to that move where he spins off the other way.

On the next possession, he fakes the jumper and spins into an easy finish. He is evolving. FAST. pic.twitter.com/0sBMIAlOdr

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) March 16, 2019

But as you see in the second video, Ayton is moving away from the basket to produce that movement. Williams then got on the ball and showed Ayton that when he fakes the fallaway jumper, he can hold his right pivot foot and slide inside of his man to seal him off, taking that left foot and moving it inside instead of spinning back around with it, thus getting to the basket sooner through physicality.

Williams said that was just a specific moment they’ll continue to have this season where he’s working with the players.

“It’s just part of our program,” he said. “You get to create some sweat equity with the guys, share some knowledge with them. There are things I see in his game that he can definitely improve on, I mean, he’s a young man with unreal talent. Anytime I can get out there on the floor and not be in the way of the coaches, it can be a benefit to the program.”

ROOKIES STILL OUT

Rookie wing Cam Johnson (left calf soreness) will miss his second straight game while Ty Jerome (right ankle sprain) has now been ruled out indefinitely and will be re-evaluated over the next two-to-four weeks.

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