Phoenix Suns face surging New Orleans Pelicans

SB Nation

Who: Phoenix Suns (16-13) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8-23)

When: 6:00pm Arizona Time

Where: Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, Louisiana

Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports, NBATV

Listen:

KMVP 98.7

The Phoenix Suns made it through their toughest 14-game stretch of this season, playing 13 of their 14 games against teams with a winning record in the Western Conference. Phoenix can finally exhale after getting through the gauntlet a solid 7-7. The last time Phoenix played a team with a losing record was the Sacramento Kings exactly one month ago. Phoenix has to continue what it’s done so far this season and take care of business against teams that it should beat, and playing the day after Christmas makes that even more difficult.

The Suns need to play with the same focus and intensity they have played with all season. One player who we can bank on bringing the fight in this game is Devin Booker. In his last three games against the Pelicans in the Smoothie King Center, Booker has averaged 44 points per contest, including two 52-point outbursts.

Playing close to Moss Point, Mississippi usually brings a different level of play from Booker, and it will be a good opportunity for him to come completely out of his slump he has been in for the last month.

Probable Starters

Injury Report

Suns

Grayson Allen — OUT (Right Knee)
Jordan Goodwin — AVAILABLE (Jaw Sprain)
Jalen Green — OUT (Right Hamstring Strain)

Pelicans

Herb Jones — OUT (Right Ankle Sprain)
Dejounte Murray — OUT (Right Achilles Rupture)
Jordan Poole — Questionable (Left Ankles Soreness)

What to Watch For

The New Orleans Pelicans have shown signs of life in December and are looking for their fifth straight win at home, having won five of their last six games. New Orleans is a much different team than the one Phoenix beat down 121-98 in early November. Zion Williamson will likely come off the bench this game as he continues to work his way back from a hip abductor strain, and play between 20-25 minutes. Despite his low minute totals, Williamson has scored 26.3 points per game in his last three games.

Williamson vs Booker in the past has resulted in some classic games between these two players, and should deliver again in at least one of these next two matchups.

Pelicans rookie center Derik Queen is also someone Suns fans should watch very closely. In college at Maryland, his nickname was Baby Jokic because of his style of play, and that style has translated nicely to the NBA so far. Queen, in the month of December, has scored over double digits in eight of 10 games and is averaging 5.6 assists as well. Queen was drafted 13th, and as he continues to play well, and Khaman Maluach continues to get DNP’s, Suns fans will continue to flashback to the last 10th overall pick, who was a major bust.

Key to a Suns Win

The Suns play the Pelicans twice in the next two days, and protecting the paint will be what makes or breaks Phoenix’s trip to New Orleans. The Pelicans are fourth in the NBA in percentage of points scored from two, meanwhile, the Suns are eighth in points scored from three. Mark Williams’ rim protection will be key to the Suns getting the win, and whoever Jordan Ott decides to roll with will also need to protect the paint while Williams rests on the bench. On the offensive end, the Suns have to generate and make threes against a bottom-of-the-league defense. If the Suns do those two things, they will win comfortably.