Winning cures all? No. The Suns still need interior assistance.
Disclaimer: I know that the Phoenix Suns are beating teams they should be beating. But at least they are beating teams they should be beating, you know?
For the second time in a week, the Phoenix Suns found themselves in a grind against the Charlotte Hornets on the second night of a back-to-back. You know the drill: young, spring-loaded legs against the NBA’s oldest roster. On paper, a matchup with an 8-27 team shouldn’t feel like a trap, but this one reeked of danger. Early on, it smelled like trouble, too.
The Suns’ interior defense is a glaring red flag, and the Hornets exploited it with relentless abandon. Mark Williams turned into a reincarnation of prime Shaquille O’Neal, bullying his way to 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting and snatching 13 boards — six of them off the offensive glass — in just the first half. It was a paint party, and the Suns were nothing more than unwelcome spectators.
Mark Williams is a mean machine. Throw it down on his former teammate, Mason Plumlee pic.twitter.com/7aISSurgb8
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) January 13, 2025
But basketball is a game of adjustments, or sometimes just inexplicable decisions. Charlotte inexplicably abandoned their interior dominance in the second half. Williams managed just two points and three rebounds the rest of the way. Despite the Suns getting obliterated in second-chance points, 26 to 12, they clamped down defensively and managed to outlast the Hornets, winning ugly. Because sometimes, ugly wins are all you get.
This game screamed one thing: the Suns need help in the paint. Mason Plumlee, bless his hustle, isn’t the answer. Sure, Phoenix is 4-1 with him in the starting lineup recently, but he’s neither big enough nor skilled enough to anchor the middle. At least Oso Ighodaro shows flashes of competence, right?
Still, credit where it’s due. The Suns scraped their way to a much-needed win, moving to 19-19 on the season. They’re clinging to the 10th seed in the Western Conference, but they’re only four games behind the Denver Nuggets for the fourth spot. It’s a long road ahead, no doubt, but Phoenix is finally starting to cash in on the league’s bottom-feeders.
The shift to bringing Bradley Beal off the bench has sparked a 4-1 run. Strides are being made, even if the finish line still feels far off. Championship material? Not quite. But hey, stacking a few wins feels pretty damn good right now.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Make it seven Bright Side Ballers for Devin Booker after his 34-point performance against the Jazz on Saturday. He’s easily leading the charge now, setting the standard for what it is and what it means to be bestowed with such a worthy title.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
All righty. Who gets the BSB in last night’s win?
Devin Booker
30 points (10-of-20 FG, 4-of-9 3PT, 6-of-6 FT), 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 turnover, -4 +/-
Kevin Durant
27 points (11-of-24 FG, 2-of-9 3PT, 3-of-3 FT), 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 turnover, +8 +/-
Bradley Beal
15 points (5-of-12 FG, 2-of-4 3PT, 3-of-4 FT), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, +19 +/-
Grayson Allen
13 points (4-of-7 FG, 3-of-6 3PT, 2-of-2 FT), 1 rebound, 0 turnovers, +7 +/-
Ryan Dunn
11 points (4-of-5 FG, 3-of-4 3PT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 blocks, 0 turnovers, -17 +/-
Oso Ighodaro
10 points (3-of-3 FG, 4-of-6 FT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, +19 +/-
Cast your vote below.