Suns continue rotation shuffle, make progress in loss to Raptors

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns and head coach Igor Kokoskov had no choice but to change things after six straight brutal losses on the season.

He changed bits of his rotation on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs, most notably starting T.J. Warren over Ryan Anderson at power forward.

An overhaul continued for his fully healthy team in Friday’s 107-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors, a defeat that had positive signs for a team that was not competitive for the majority of its last six games.

With a starting lineup of the returning Isaiah Canaan and Devin Booker, along with Trevor Ariza, Warren and Deandre Ayton, the changes came off the bench.

At center, Richaun Holmes played in favor of Tyson Chandler. Chandler was noticeably a couple steps slower to start the year and was failing to contribute in any department. He finished with a DNP.

On the wing, while Josh Jackson did play, he entered the game before rookie Mikal Bridges and only played 12 minutes. The move sends a clear message that Jackson’s poor performances won’t stand and his role could diminish even further if so.

At guard, rookie Elie Okobo was the first off the bench and veteran signing Jamal Crawford was not one of the first 10 players in.

The much-needed changes and return of the backcourt seemed to spark the Suns.

They led at halftime 52-48, shooting 46.8 percent from the field. While the execution was certainly far from elite, their defensive rotations and effort were the best they have been since opening night against the Dallas Mavericks.

“Effort was better,” Kokoskov said after the game. “Having Book back and Canaan back — it helps a lot.”

But, there were signs of the foundation cracking, plays that resembled the low quality of basketball seen in the past two weeks.

Plus, the Raptors seemed to be more engaged in the closing stages of the first half, which unsurprisingly led to a 13-2 start for them in the third quarter.

To the delight of many, however, the Suns did not fall into their pattern of the last six games by letting that be the breaking point that eventually led to a 20-point deficit.

Instead, the Suns responded. Ariza hit a big three and Ayton made a play defensively to get the team and crowd back in it.

😈 😈 😈 pic.twitter.com/nmlbvJzX4V

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 3, 2018

A 7-0 run had the game tied once again midway through the third quarter.

Even after some bad offensive execution in the backend of the third quarter, Phoenix stayed in the game, and a huge three by Jackson at the buzzer had the Raptors lead at only six points through three quarters.

Now, Toronto surely had one of their worst efforts of the season, but the Suns being in a game at the start of the fourth quarter was tremendous progress compared to their last six outings.

That didn’t last much longer at the start of the fourth quarter.

With Booker resting, the Suns didn’t have much offense and Toronto’s full lineup of reserves went on a 14-4 run in the first three and a half minutes.

That made it a 16-point lead, and Toronto maintained that advantage for a bit until a 7-2 Phoenix run at 4:30 left in the game was another punch back from the Suns to cut the deficit down to 13.

Sure, the Raptors closed out the game and it was never in doubt, but the Suns’ multiple runs in the third and fourth quarter showed a team that was at least willing to fight.

Even in the last three minutes of the game when the Raptors were operating like they knew they had a win, the Suns were visibly trying to come back.

Once again, a definite sign of improvement.

“We played great on the defensive end, all-around from the beginning to the end, and I think we showed a lot of effort,” Ayton said after the game. “I was really proud today.”

Booker was clearly not 100 percent back from a left hamstring strain. He lacked explosion and burst while handling the ball. He worked his tail off to create separation, finishing 8-of-20 for 18 points.

He only attempted one free throw and his capabilities movement-wise went down even further in the fourth quarter.

After the game, Booker didn’t admit as much when it came to any limitations, saying he felt “really good.”

“I still feel a little something but it’s something that you can play through,” Booker said. “Felt fine out there. I don’t know how many minutes I played but I feel like it was fine enough to go.”

Ayton had a handful of mistakes as a rim protector but he still had a productive night of 17 points and 18 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive glass where his motor showed.

“He has what it takes,” Booker said of Ayton’s night. “I said that from the start of the season.”

As for the rotation shakeup, the minutes showed a coach who doesn’t have a full level of trust with some of his players. Okobo played 16 minutes, Bridges had 11 and even though Anderson was coming off the bench, he had 25 minutes to Warren’s 23.

Those changes and the starting guards coming back had an impact on the game, but the Suns’ effort and change in body language on the floor mattered the most.

“It’s hope,” Ayton said after the game of the team’s play. “Tell us that we’re young but we have a lot to improve.  Every day I learn something new … As a team I think we did pretty good overall.”

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