The Suns. rebounding struggles are a problem James Jones can’t ignore. I hope.
Rebounding. The Phoenix Suns need it like a fish needs water. For all the quirks and flaws Jusuf Nurkic brings to the table, size isn’t one of them. And size is exactly what the Suns lacked last night in Atlanta. With Nurkic sidelined by “illness”, the Suns weren’t just outworked on the boards. They were humiliated. Annihilated. Dismantled.
Okongwu off the bench averging 1.8 rebounds per game gets 21. Against Charlotte Williams averages 8 boards a game and against Suns 16 boards along with 24 points (24/14 at half time. We have no Center pressence that can defend and rebound. Is Mark West available?
— Sergeant Hulkas Big Toe (@chefartyk) January 15, 2025
Sure, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker delivered their usual scoring wizardry, painting another offensive masterpiece. But if you can’t stop the opposition from feasting on second chances, those points are nothing more than art in a burning gallery. Offensive rebounds are soul-crushing, momentum-destroying, and last night, Atlanta devoured Phoenix whole.
Credit the Suns for hanging in there and keeping the final margin to just five points. It could’ve been a bloodbath. This team is developing fight, grit, hustle. What it doesn’t have is athleticism in the paint, reliable box-out technique, or hands sticky enough to pull down boards.
And you know what? I’m glad they got their asses handed to them. Maybe it’s the slap to the face this front office needs to finally act.
Nick Richards? Duop Reath? Somebody — anybody — needs to reinforce the center rotation. Last night’s obliteration on the glass was a giant flashing neon sign for James Jones: Do something.
It’s painful to see a winnable game slip away due to poor roster construction. Despite Mike Budenholzer’s solid rotations and the team’s scoring firepower, they were undone by a center lineup that feels like a bad joke. Nurkic and Mason Plumlee? Two Spider-Men pointing at each other. Oso Ighodaro? Skilled but undersized, utterly outmatched against an athletic wrecking ball like Onyeka Okongwu.
Sometimes it takes a brutal beatdown to hold up the mirror and force a reckoning. The Suns have glaring holes, and last night, they were impossible to ignore.
Rumors are swirling, the market’s heating up, and the Suns have the chance to fix their roster’s Achilles’ heel. Will they seize it? Time will tell. But after last night, one thing is crystal clear: the back of the Suns’ center rotation is as broken as the camel’s back it’s riding on.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Ooooo, it was close. Oso Ighodaro took home 39% of the vote after his game against the Hornets on Saturday night. He almost earned his first BSB of the season. But alas, he was outvoted. Barely.
Devin Booker’s 30 points and 8 assists garnered him 44% of the community vote and he is nearing the double-digit mark as he now has 8 Bright Side Baller’s on the season.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Who shined in Atlanta? I tell you one thing. You’re not going to see a lot of rebounds on this list.
Devin Booker
35 points (12-of-23, 7-of-14 3PT), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 5 turnovers, +6 +/-
Kevin Durant
31 points (13-of-20, 0-of-2 3PT), 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, +5 +/-
Ryan Dunn
14 points (6-of-12, 1-of-4 3PT), 1 rebound, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, +5 +/-
Tyus Jones
8 points (3-of-5, 1-of-2 3PT), 1 rebound, 6 assists, 0 turnovers, +7 +/-
Bradley Beal
11 points (3-of-9, 1-of-4 3PT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, -8 +/-
Grayson Allen
9 points (3-of-4, 3-of-4 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, -11 +/-
Here we go. Cast away!