Just two games this week, the Phoenix Suns split their two games with the Golden State Warriors, winning on Thursday at home and losing on Saturday on the road. Both contests were nail biters coming down
to the final second.
Here are the main questions for Week 9 that we want your thoughts on:
Does Dillon Brooks need to change his play style?
While he had at least 22 points in both outings this week, Dillon Brooks’ aggressive style of play almost cost the team in their win against the Warriors on Thursday. Up five with 38 seconds left, Brooks flagrantly fouled Stephen Curry, giving Curry two free throws and the ball afterward. Curry hit both foul shots and a Jimmy Butler three tied the game.
Fortunately for the Suns, with the help of Devin Booker and Jordan Goodwin’s game-winning free throw with 0.4 seconds left, Phoenix was victorious, but after the game Brooks said he needed to do some reflecting.
In the team’s previous game, Brooks picked up a critical foul that got him his second technical foul and ejected in the final minute of the game while the Suns were making a miraculous comeback. Brooks was noticeably much quieter on Saturday’s game, but does he need to change his demeanor to help the Suns?
Is Devin Booker out of his shooting slump?
In his last 6 quarters, Devin Booker has scored 61 points on 54% from the field. His performance on Saturday, where he scored 38 points, tied his highest scoring game this season and his best since returning from his groin injury he suffered on December 1st against the Lakers. Heading into this past week, Booker was shooting 39.8% from the field and 21.2% from three in his past 12 games.
After a few strong performances that helped the Suns down the stretch, is it time to say the team’s franchise player is finally out of his massive shooting slump?
The Collin Gillespie question
As Jalen Green continues to get closer to a return, Collin Gillespie’s play has only gotten stronger. Averaging 15 points per game in December, Gillespie is having the best month of his career and helped run Phoenix’s offense while Booker was sidelined. With Green returning, is it fair to wonder whether he’ll remain in the starting lineup? While it is possible that Grayson Allen will be the starting lineup casualty, by removing Allen from the lineup and keeping Gillespie in it, Phoenix removes an elite shooter while adding another ball handler when both Green and Booker are already ball-dominant guards.
Green is expected to return soon, as early as this week according to NBA Insider Kelly Ilko. What should the Suns do with Gillespie when Green gets back?
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