Grading Suns' Big Three Debut
The Phoenix Suns (13-11) saw the long-awaited debut of their newly formed big three spoiled by the Brooklyn Nets last night in 116-112 fashion.
Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal all had moments of brilliance- it was evident how much space was created just by having them on the floor at the same time- but it also appears as if it will take more than one game for the stars to figure things out completely.
How all three stars grade out for last night's performance:
Devin Booker: A
Devin Booker had one of his best all-around performances of the season, scoring 34 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and dishing out 12 assists in 40 minutes of action.
Booker was in command of the offense nearly the entirety of his 40 minutes in the game, and was a team-best +16 in the plus-minus category.
The franchise player also hit 14/15 free throws, displayed some typical beautiful off-ball movement, and continually utilized impeccable timing/eye manipulation to generate clean looks for teammates.
The Suns likely win the game last night if not for the horrible showing in the eight minutes he sat out of.
Kevin Durant: B+
Durant had a good, not great game last night.
Facing off against his former team for the first time since Brooklyn traded him to Phoenix 10 months ago, Durant boasted a stat line of 27 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.
The most disappointing part of Durant's night was his 1-for-5 slash from three-point range and his 8-for-10 mark at the free throw line.
This obviously shouldn't be a concern- as Durant has been one of the very best three-point shooters this season and is one of the most efficient scorers in the history of the game. A 27-point performance without the three-ball falling is a good showing.
The most impressive piece of Durant's night was his defense.
He was the best defender on the court for Phoenix with Josh Okogie out- and he made his mark with two blocks and a steal.
Bradley Beal: B-
Bradley Beal played the second part of a back-to-back after nearly a month off, and the pair of games yielded mixed results.
Beal is still very clearly a lethal scorer - he hit 6-of-9 attempts from the floor against the Nets - but it also seems as if he's going to need time to adjust into a full-time role as a secondary/tertiary offensive engine.
Beal was -13 last night despite his efficient scoring performance- likely a testament to both the continued growing pains stage and being paired in lineups with the likes of Drew Eubanks- who was -18 in four minutes of action.
Suns fans shouldn't panic about Beal, as he is still an elite offensive talent in this league and should be treated as such.
Exhibiting patience while the stars figure things out on the fly is paramount to the long-term success and viability of this experiment.
The Suns will face off against the New York Knicks tomorrow night at Footprint Center in a night that will commence Shawn Marion's immortalization in Suns history.
