Defense a priority as Suns start five-game road trip

PHOENIX – The beginning of the NBA season has been a whirlwind for the Phoenix Suns. Coach Earl Watson was fired after an 0-3 start and starting point guard Eric Bledsoe likely played his last game with the team. Amid the disarray, the Suns managed to turn their performance around under interim coach Jay Triano.

A key to that turnaround has been defense.

In their season opener, the Suns lost to the Portland Trail Blazers by 48 points, suffering their worst loss in franchise history. Just a week later, with Triano at the forefront, the Suns displayed an impressive defensive effort against the Utah Jazz, which was reflected in the score. The team held the Jazz to 88 points, the fewest Phoenix has allowed since last November.

The Suns get another shot at Portland tonight, the first of five straight games on the road.

Triano understands the importance of shutting down opponents.

“We have to commit to playing defense and the players seem to be bought in right now, but it’s a long season and it’s a lot of work,” Triano said. “If you put in the work, you’ll continue to get better.”

With a young roster, Triano is “not really concerned with performance” but rather the team’s “development.” Small forward and rookie Josh Jackson has seen the ability of this team to grow from its mistakes.

“I think we’ve just been focusing on defense a little bit more,” Jackson said. “The first couple games our offensive flow was kind of stagnant. We didn’t move the ball as well. We weren’t sharing the ball. I think now we’re playing better defense and sharing the ball, getting guys involved. Naturally, that just makes everybody more excited to play.”

That excitement has translated into winning. The Suns are carrying the momentum from two straight victories, both of which came on their home court. Now begins a five-game stretch in which the team will be tasked with taking that momentum on the road.

The Suns will face the Trail Blazers, the Nets, the Wizards, the Knicks and the Spurs. A 4-1 and always dangerous, the Spurs may deal Phoenix its toughest challenge yet. Triano and the Suns know, however, beating Portland will be no easy feat.

“We’re going to play a very good team in Portland,” Triano said. “We have a tough road trip ahead of us. Brooklyn is playing extremely well, Washington has played very well, so it’s not like it’s an easy trek.”

Aside from defense, Triano believes the team’s “ability to not turn the ball over” will be vital as it takes on Portland for the second time.. In their season opener, the Suns turned the ball over 16 times against the Trail Blazers and gave up 124 points.

Triano has been vocal about his expectations for his players and addressed the team about allowing its opponents to score at will. He has established a sense of accountability among his players.

Jackson and his teammates are working to incorporate that accountability on the court by being more vocal.

“We’ll see something small like a breakdown on defense. It’s got to be called out,” Jackson said. “You never know if you’re messing up unless someone tells you what you’re messing up on or how to fix it. Just paying attention to small details I think is the best way.”

The 19-year old’s start in the NBA hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. Not only was his coach fired three games into the season, but Jackson was fined $35,000 for making a controversial hand gesture at a Los Angeles Clippers fan. However, Triano believes Jackson has handled the adversity well and is pleased with the performance he has put forth..

“He’s embraced coming off the bench, which was a real nice sacrifice for a player like him, and he’s embraced taking a lot of pride in how he defends,” Triano said.

For a team embarking on a five-game road trip, that’s encouraging news.