Suns ahead Kevin Durant reacts after a shot in opposition to the Mavericks within the second half.
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PHOENIX — The final time the Suns performed an official sport at Footprint Heart, they stepped on a banana peel, shedding 4 straight to Minnesota within the first spherical of the 2024 playoffs. Frank Vogel known as it “disappointing” and “there’s no different method to put it.”
He was the top coach then. He isn’t now.
To say the Suns are actually angling for larger issues could be understating the apparent. If it’s potential to have a way of urgency in a house opener, nicely such was the case Saturday when the Suns appeared wanting to set a tone for 2024-25.
Effectively, the primary signal was ominous: Bradley Beal was out with a sore elbow for a workforce that handled accidents a lot of final season.
However on the finish of the evening, all was nicely after a radical, if not dominant, defeat of the Mavericks.
Listed below are 5 takeaways from that 114-102 outcome and a house launch the Suns hope turns into commonplace.
1. Durant hits milestone
He didn’t have to drop 31 factors to make sure his place among the many all-time scorers in NBA historical past, however it did strengthen his credentials.
Kevin Durant’s team-high output propelled him previous 29,000 factors for his profession. Solely seven others have managed to crack that threshold, and Durant continues to be getting buckets.
He’s actually a scoring marvel, comfy in all places on the ground and never one dimensional in any method. At 36, Durant seemingly has two or three golden years left, possibly extra as a result of shooters historically are the final to fade away.
“It’s a tribute to a generational expertise,” mentioned Suns coach Mike Budenholzer. “He will get to nice spots to have the ability to shoot and rating in opposition to nice defenses. He’s been doing it just about his total profession.”
Kevin Durant scores 31 factors, surpasses 29,000 for his profession.
2. Mavs glimpsing more durable highway?
When Dallas reached the NBA Finals final season, it was rightly seen as a breakthrough for the franchise right here within the Luka Dončić period. Kyrie Irving arrived to present him a co-star, the Mavs added frontline assist on the commerce deadline and located themselves taking part in in June.
However in one other sense, the Mavs took benefit of well being — their very own good well being and accidents suffered by different contenders, particularly the workforce that beat them Saturday.
Devin Booker, Durant and Beal performed collectively for precisely half of the 2023-24 common season. The Suns have been 26-15 report in these video games. Had the three core stars stayed moderately wholesome, Phoenix would’ve received 50-plus video games and loved a extra favorable playoff seeding and matchups.
And it’s not simply the Suns; the Grizzlies additionally handled a rash of accidents and, regardless of profitable 50-plus video games in every of the earlier two seasons, didn’t make the playoffs.
Assuming good well being for all this season, the competitors simply bought more durable for Dallas. And so did the Mavs’ possibilities of repeating as West champs.
3. With Beal out, Dunn flashes value
Nothing to be nervous about from the Suns’ standpoint; Beal handled a sore left elbow and determined to relaxation. Nonetheless, he missed 29 video games final season, when a scarcity of depth proved expensive for Phoenix.
With Beal out Saturday, Budenholzer determined to begin a rookie — Ryan Dunn, the Suns’ first-round decide whose project was guarding Luka.
The chilly details? Dunn held Luka to 40 factors.
However the fact went past numbers. Dunn was really spectacular, or as spectacular as a rookie can get in opposition to the league scoring champion final season and MVP candidate.
The Suns traded all the way down to get Dunn at No. 28. He’s 6-foot-8, got here with defensive credentials and sparkled in the course of the preseason. Ideally, he’ll provide what the Suns misplaced after they dealt Mikal Bridges — coincidentally for Durant.
“Nice evening for Ryan,” mentioned Budenholzer. “That’s one of many high gamers within the league he went in opposition to. He will get the possibility to enter the lab and study from it. His protection and athleticism was a constructive. His 3 within the fourth was big. He’s taking pictures it with confidence.”
Dunn is efficacious for the Suns in one other method — financially. He’s a rookie on an inexpensive contract for a workforce with a bundle tied up in three gamers. It’s a problem for such groups so as to add higher gamers in trades, and free company is out of the query.
Higher to have the ability to draft and develop round Durant, Beal and Booker. Dunn, in that sense, is already an asset.
4. Bosnian Beast bounces again
Jusuf Nurkić regarded shaky the earlier evening in L.A. in opposition to Anthony Davis, who did no matter he wished to do within the Lakers’ comeback victory.
So Nurk wanted one other probability to make an early season impression — which he did, slightly emphatically. Apart from Durant, Nurk was essentially the most impactful participant on the ground for the Suns.
That he did it in opposition to the Mavs’ assortment of huge males made it extra spectacular. Nurkić had 18 factors and 14 rebounds and there was little that Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington or Dereck Vigorous II might do to stop it.
“He’s a terrific teammate and a competitor,” mentioned Budenholzer. “He wished to return again and have that constructive affect for us, which he did.”
Nurkić mentioned: “My objective was simply to play higher, assist us win. That’s all that mattered.”
5. All good between Klay, Luka, Kyrie
The chemistry lesson is being aced, by all accounts and in keeping with the one voice that issues.
Klay Thompson’s bond with Luka and Kyrie Irving was splendid from the beginning and getting smoother.
“That’s why I’m right here,” he mentioned. “An opportunity to be with nice gamers and with a terrific group.”
Thompson by means of two video games seems an excellent match: 11-for-22 taking pictures from deep and a 20-point common. There’s at all times a transitional stretch when key gamers are put collectively for a primary time, however primarily based on the small pattern measurement to this point, it’s nearly as in the event that they’ve been teammates for years.
“We are able to develop from this and be so much higher, and proper now it’s actually good,” Thompson mentioned. “There’s a lot room for enchancment. I’m very inspired with our belief with one another and what our potential will be.”
Credit score Luka for this. Because the resident MVP candidate and level guard, he has made Klay comfy and studied to study the shooter’s tendencies in a short while.
“He’s straightforward,” mentioned Klay. “He’s nice.”
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Shaun Powell has lined the NBA for greater than 25 years. You possibly can e-mail him right here, discover his archive right here and follow him on X.
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