There was one concern I had heading into Sunday against the Chicago Bulls, and it came straight from the last time these two teams met. You remember it. The Suns could not keep the ball in front, and it turned into a layup line. Guards getting downhill whenever they wanted, no resistance at the point of attack, and everything collapsing from there.
And on Sunday, it showed up again.
Tre Jones lived in the paint. Over and over, he blew by perimeter defenders, got to his spots, and finished clean. He
ended with 29 points, 21 of them coming right at the rim. Collin Sexton was not nearly as aggressive this time, and if he had been, this could have looked very different. The Phoenix Suns got the win, but it did not erase the concern.
Because the issue is the same. Containment. Or lack of it.
Jordan Ott rolled with a nine-man rotation, and there was no Rasheer Fleming and no Ryan Dunn. Two players who at least give you a different look defensively. More length, more disruption, more potential resistance either at the point of attack or at the rim.
There was an adjustment early. Jordan Goodwin got the start over Collin Gillespie in an effort to slow things down. But Chicago countered. They screened him out of the action, forced switches, and suddenly it was Devin Booker and Jalen Green trying to contain downhill pressure. That is not a winning formula. Not against guards who are looking to attack every possession. Layer in transition defense, or the lack of it. Phoenix was outscored 28–6 in fast-break points. That is effort, awareness, urgency, all of it. And it turned what should have been manageable into something far more stressful than it needed to be.
They won. That part counts. But the concern does not go away. Because teams are showing you the blueprint. Get downhill, force rotations, live in the paint. And until the Suns prove they can consistently stop it, it is going to keep showing up.
The hope is that the adjustments come. The hope is that the staff sees it, addresses it, and finds a counter. Because if not, these final four games are going to feel the same way, and at some point, you drift into that territory where you mess around and find out.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Jalen Green was hyper-efficient against the Hornets, which was enough for him to earn Bright Side Baller #6 on the season.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 78 against the Bulls. Here are your nominees:
Devin Booker
30 points (9-of-22, 3-of-7 3PT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 9-of-10 FT, 1 steal, 1 turnover, +3 +/-
Jalen Green
25 points (11-of-21, 2-of-7 3PT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 6 turnovers, +8 +/-
Dillon Brooks
15 points (6-of-15, 1-of-4 3PT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +10 +/-
Mark Williams
14 points (6-of-8), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +7 +/-
Jordan Goodwin
12 points (5-of-5, 2-of-2 3PT), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 0 +/-**
Collin Gillespie
9 points (3-of-11, 3-of-8 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, 1 block, +13 +/-
Where do you end up?
