Earl Watson sends message to Suns vets after blowout against Kings
Oct 26, 2016, 11:07 PM | Updated: Oct 27, 2016, 7:58 am
Phoenix Suns forward Dragan Bender (35), of Croatia, and Sacramento Kings guard Ty Lawson (10) battle for the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
Knee-jerk reactions can be dangerous this time of year.
But there’s little risk for first-year Phoenix Suns coach Earl Watson to call it like it is. He wasn’t taking a 113-94, season opening loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday as an anomaly.
His actions will have to back his words, but it seems a flat performance by the Suns’ veterans and a rally attempt by a lineup featuring three rookies under the age of 21 did something to alter his initial rotation plans heading into the year.
Sacramento closed the first quarter on a 16-1 run, turning a 18-14 lead into a 30-19 deficit at the end of the period. For Phoenix, the quarter was closed out by a five-man second unit that, through several substitutions, included P.J. Tucker, Leandro Barbosa, Brandon Knight, Alex Len and Marquese Chriss.
“One thing that was visible is our second unit — and in the first quarter (a) 16-1 run is unacceptable,” Watson told the media after the game. “Mix in the young guys in the second half, that looks like that is our second unit. So now the rotation is down.”
Based on the changes, that would indicate Tucker, who is still recovering from back surgery, and Barbosa are the odd men out.
Neither played in the second half, and when the Suns trailed by their biggest margin of the night, 82-56, and by the time he called a timeout with 2:35 left in the third, Watson had just given two rookies other than Chriss their debuts.
Waving the white flag? It might’ve been.
But it also was an opportunity for 18-year-old Dragan Bender and 20-year-old Tyler Ulis.
The bench lineup of Bender, Knight, Len, Chriss and Ulis was largely responsible for a 20-4 run to cut the Kings’ lead to 86-76 with nine minutes to play courtesy of 10 Bender points — including two threes — and Ulis’ airspace-eating defense of Sacramento’s Garrett Temple and Ty Lawson.
.@dbender03 from downtown, again! #WeArePHX pic.twitter.com/SKfTjJ0iSc
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 27, 2016
“Those guys are so young that you have to give them a chance,” Watson said. “To me, they played with the most heart. Heart gets rewarded.”
The run also notably included a better performance from Knight, who after a point and two turnovers in the first half scored six and added five assists in the second half. Chriss, meanwhile, scored all seven of his points in the second half and grabbed four rebounds to go with two assists.
Watson said he will consider the whole of five-game home and five-game road segments throughout the season.
But as it stands, a few key veterans off the bench and even those in the starting unit were put on notice after just one game.
“The way I addressed the team was, you can’t use, ‘We’re young,’ ” the coach added. “Our young guys got us in the game. Our veterans have to come and have to play with the same passion.”
