'Battle Tested' Suns Face Magic: 5 Questions Ahead of Matchup vs. Phoenix

The Orlando Magic hope to stunt the Phoenix Suns' momentum when they come into the Amway Center tonight.
'Battle Tested' Suns Face Magic: 5 Questions Ahead of Matchup vs. Phoenix
'Battle Tested' Suns Face Magic: 5 Questions Ahead of Matchup vs. Phoenix /

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic (3-9) is hours away from taking on one of the best teams in the league, the Phoenix Suns (8-3).

To learn more about the Suns ahead of tonight's matchup, we spoke with Inside The Suns publisher Donnie Druin to learn more about the current state of affairs with the team.

1. The Suns appeared to have a lot of drama in the offseason after their playoff exit, the Robert Sarver saga and Jae Crowder's trade request. Yet, it hasn't affected them on the court with their 8-3 start. How has the team looked in the first part of the year?

This team simply hasn't shown any signs of letting outside noise bother them, as they've looked very much like the team we've seen the previous two seasons. Two of three losses have come by just one possession (both being to Portland) and the Suns have racked up wins against projected playoff teams in Golden State, Los Angeles and Dallas thus far. They tied a franchise-best record through eight games and even with the injury to Cam Johnson, they should be able to sustain above .500 play until his return. Devin Booker is scoring as strong as ever, and typically one other teammate will join him depending on the night. Yet there's been times where Mikal Bridges and others have paced the team in points during a win. When Booker trash-talked the Timberwolves' bench on Wednesday and said "We play team basketball" he wasn't kidding.

2. Chris Paul has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. What are the chances he plays tonight and how does the game plan change if he sits?

He currently sits at questionable with soreness in his right heel, and with this being the third game of a four-game road trip, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they sat Paul and let Cameron Payne start again, who tallied 23 points and eight rebounds in their last win over Minnesota. With injuries like this, it seems like it's a daily thing that will only be given a green light if Paul is able to manage it. As far as the game plan, not a whole lot changes. The Suns have done a good job in having Paul take a backseat thus far in efforts to help preserve him down the stretch of the season with things such as Booker bringing the ball up the court more and more rotation for bench guys in key moments.

3. What's one thing people should know about the Suns that they cannot find in a box score?

Monty Williams has these guys battle tested. It feels like whenever things seem to get out of control, Phoenix is able to pull themselves together and battle the adversity. That's a product of their experience and time on the court together. Surely not every game will be won, but when things get thick, Phoenix has a knack to push through in crunch time.

4. If the Suns were to lose tonight, what would be the reason why?

Lack of energy. This is something that haunted them in Monday's loss to Philadelphia, and with this being the penultimate game of a road trip, it's a dice roll as to how these guys show up tonight. Orlando did just hold Luka Doncic to under 30 points for the first time all season and could see the return of Paolo Banchero and Kevon Harris tonight, too. It feels like Orlando promises to be better than their current record.

5. What's your prediction for tonight's game?

With all the craziness that occurs in the NBA, it's sometimes safer to bet on the better team despite all the aforementioned reasons. The Suns are 7.5-point favorites on SI Sportsbook so I'll stick right around there. 


Tonight's game tips off at 7 p.m.


You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Magic? Click Here.

Follow The Magic Insider on Facebook.

Follow The Magic Insider on Twitter.


Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.