'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.
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