Preseason preparation for the Phoenix Suns is over and now the hype for the start of the season on Tuesday can really multiply after a 123:100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
Phoenix initially wanted to play against everyone else A call was made on the afternoon of the game to rest Devin Booker and sit out Bradley Beal, again due to back strain. That was about as unfortunate as it could be in the preseason, considering the Lakers had their healthy key players like LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves in minutes in the mid-20s. Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon got the starting lineup in the backcourt.
Kevin Durant was still out there, hitting the final seven shots he took in the first half before having to sit out the rest of the game. He scored 21 points in 17 minutes.
Davis, one of the best defensive players of all time, completely swallowed up Jusuf Nurkic’s attempts around the rim. Four of his six blocks came from throw-ins from Nurkic at the basket, where the Bosnian’s lack of vertical explosion may be a shortcoming of his. He was 1 of 11 from the field with eight rebounds. It was also a difficult performance for him defensively.
If you’re a casual NBA fan outside of Suns basketball, you wouldn’t think Nassir Little had much of a chance at a rotation role after the team’s first four preseason games. And you would have been surprised to hear that Little was the part of the Deandre Ayton transfer that some Phoenix pundits liked the most among the four players coming back in return, considering how great Grayson Allen has looked.
But Little has a good chance of being an impact player this year after showing plenty of flashes during the first four years of his career in Portland. And on Thursday, he played much more like himself with 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting and four rebounds.
Little is an athletic and strong winger who is perfect for the switchable defenses of most NBA teams. He can defend some positions and his offensive game made some progress last year. It was a big step forward for him as he joins a group of half a dozen guys fighting for the final two spots in the rotation.
Drew Eubanks continues to look very solid as the backup 5 (and I will continue to whisper to anyone who will listen that he has a real chance to finish games all the way to the playoffs). Thursday was his most productive night of the preseason, an impressive performance of seven points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block in 16 minutes.
Eubanks is a highlight waiting to happen with his dunks or blocks. He gave us the Suns’ best preseason with this poster about Rui Hachimura, who wisely eventually jumped ship, but not quickly enough to escape Eubanks’ wrath.
YOU MUST SEE THIS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/4gy7dP8I4n
– Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 20, 2023
Chimezie Metu hit three three-pointers, giving him an 8-for-17 mark in the preseason. The big man wasn’t a great shooter in the NBA before this year, but has worked to incorporate it into his game and perhaps he’s ready for the big break.