World News – AU – Game Preview: Suns (3-1) travel to Utah (2-1) to close 2020

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Who’s ready for a Suns basketball to end the year ?! Let’s put 2020 in the rear view.

The games might not have counted, but there was a lot to learn about Utah jazz when the Suns played them just under three weeks ago in the preseason. Ending the 2019-20 season and losing number 6 in 7 games to the Nuggets in the Western Conference deadline round, the Jazz beat the Suns in both competitions and won on Dec.. December 119-105 and on 14. December 111-92.

That was then. That is now. And now it counts. It’s an early season encounter that could be the preview of a playoff matchup. But we still have a long way to go, don’t we?

The suns start a formation that is 3-1 as a unit. The team is 21. in the evaluation with 109 ppg and 1. in opp / ppg at 98. 5.

Similarly, Jazz starts the same five they have 2-1 on the season and releases 113. 7 ppg and allowed 108. 3 ppg to opponents.

Didn’t those City Edition kits show up on Tuesday night? My only mistake this holiday season was not buying a Mikal Bridges jersey.

One fun episode on Twitter is @nbaunitracker, a website that tells you who is wearing what and what team records are on different threads. According to their research, the suns will be donning their Association Edition white jerseys in Salt Lake City for the fourth time this season.

Abdel Nader is still waiting for his Suns debut as he still has concussion issues. Jalen Smith stays day after day. The Jazz didn’t list anyone on their injury report.

Though they haven’t made a splash this off-season, the Jazz are a team that has the pieces to not only race to the NBA playoffs but run into them as well. The team has length and score, defensive strength and shooting. They led the NBA last season with 38 in 3PT%. 0% and are currently 3. in the league in attempts (40 per game). Expect a lot of long-range shots on New Years Eve.

After beating the Portland Trailblazers by 20 points earlier in the season and losing 5 points to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jazz narrowly defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder last Monday (110-109). Mitchell had 12 of his 20 points in 4th. Quarter, including the winner.

Mitchell enters the game averaging 20. 3 points per game, albeit in three competitions. He was inefficient so far and shot 32. 3% from the field and 27. 6% from the depth. One thing you know about Donovan is whether he hits or miss, he’ll keep shooting.

Last year’s midseason acquisition of Jordan Clarkson turned out to be beneficial, and the sixth man contender immediately disappeared from the bank. He averages 18 points per game in 23. So far, 7 minutes per game, which is a hefty 27. 4 points per 36 minutes. Yikes. The Suns Bank played well offensively against weaker units of the second team. Jazz does not fall into this category.

Size will be the biggest challenge in this case. The fight for the boards, the ability to generate fouls against bigs; Utah has both. Jazz outperformed the Suns with 99 to 85 in the two preseason games. Rudy Golbert is present and just like his backup Derrick Favors.

The suns play 3: 1 on Thursday evening, the best start since 2014. You play against the jazz tonight, then get on a jet and fly 371 miles (and Jan.. 054 feet higher) to Denver to play the nuggets on New Years Day.

The team impressed with its ball movement (9. in templates) and at the same time maintaining the ball safety (3. in sales). . The offense is varied with numerous weapons, especially from the outside. The team shot a franchise high of 47 three-point points against the Pelicans on Tuesday. 44. 1% of their shots come from behind (completely different philosophy as that number was 36. 1% last season).

What is fascinating about the suns is that these shots are open due to the gravity of Devin Booker and Chris Paul. 39. 5% of the Suns 3PA are considered « open » (defenders 4 to 6 feet away) or « wide open » (defenders 6 or more feet away). . Credit how Monty designed the offense to take advantage of his shooting stable.

The pick and roll has yet to be perfected, especially between CP3 and Deandre Ayton. It will be interesting to see if the Suns will continue to work on this aspect of their playbook as Rudy Golbert roams the paint.

The suns have shown that they can deal offensively with the second team by leaving opponents 141-103 behind in their three wins. Their loss to the Kings last Saturday was their only game in which the opposing unit of the second team outperformed them and scored 13 bank points more than Phoenix.

Perimeter defense is difficult to control. Even with one hand in the opponent’s face, the quality of professional shooters in the NBA still makes their shots. They don’t often get phased by a guy walking up to them with a raised hand. The suns were lucky because the three-ball has not hurt them this year (the opponent shoots 25. 2%, 29. in the league).

This game has the potential to become a gunfight as Utah loves to shoot from a great distance. What will be critical to the success of the suns is rest on both ends. If many threesomes fly through the 4,226 foot atmosphere, there will be failure. Crucially, the suns avoid allowing second chance opportunities in Utah and at the same time create additional possessions by rebounding.

How do you forecast this with anything other than positivity? Even with their single defeat, the Suns looked like a team that continues to gel. They can defend. You can (and will shoot). You have grit. You have personality.

It will no doubt be a challenge as jazz is a good opponent and yardstick in the Western Conference. Your front will test the suns, but with Dario Saric and Frank Kaminsky in uniform, the suns have the depth to challenge them.

The ESPN PickCenter has the suns as 3rd. 5 point dogs. I speak for the majority of optimistic Suns fans in passing this line on. Mikal Bridges is in the 4th. do something amazing and the suns will take victory on the road.

Phoenix Suns, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Chris Paul, NBA and Mikal Bridges