Suns Are Looking for Grit; Can They Find It?

The Phoenix Suns' slide has an easy solution, but a complicated way to get there.

The Phoenix Suns have seemingly found different ways to find new lows throughout the season, their newest coming against the Memphis Grizzlies in a 125-100 Friday night loss. The offensive rut the Suns have found themselves in has seemingly started to hurt the defense both physically and mentally.

Memphis has been a team this season that likes to work in the paint and it showed against the Suns with 72 points scored down low. Phoenix was not able to counter with adding size to the court early because of issues with scoring. 

Suns head coach Monty Williams explained, “we are not scoring the way we need to score, especially in the first quarter; that hurts you. You play in transition, so when you play in transition, you’re giving up a lot of paint and then you’re reacting to the penetration and that’s going to put you in a lot of rotation rebounding situations.”

The first quarter began with Phoenix trailing 25-8 at the 4:50 mark and the Suns never recovered after that.

Williams said the team felt like "prey" rather than hunters.

"Whether it's Boston, Memphis, these teams that are big and physical, and want to put their hands on us, we don't have the pregame edge we've had around here. We've got to get back to chasing something. I feel like the prey, and I don't like that feeling." Monty Williams. #Suns pic.twitter.com/rxBViUw5vS

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 24, 2022

Phoenix guard Landry Shamet explained what he thinks the issue has been in games like this: “They came out with more energy and more physicality. We reacted tonight. We were not in any sort of hit-first mentality. That has got to change.”

Williams also touched on early-game struggles that have plagued the Suns all season. “We don’t have the pre-game edge that we’ve had around here. We got to get back to chasing something and right now I feel like the prey and I don’t like that feeling,“ said Williams.

"Right from the jump, they just put their hands on us and their mentality was, we may lose the game but we’re not going to lose the fight and they won both tonight.”

The Suns will have their ace scoring option in Devin Booker back soon as he mends a groin injury that has sidelined him for a couple games after being out earlier this month with hamstring issues.

Suns point guard Chris Paul thinks that Phoenix can only get better, saying, “everyone doesn’t like to lose so we got to get ready, be better, try to heal up and luckily we’re not six seed at 20 something. It can only get better, can’t get too much worse.”

Phoenix will have a great opportunity Christmas Night to make a statement against the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets. 

Follow Inside The Suns on Facebook

Follow Inside The Suns on Twitter

Phoenix Suns Top Stories

How Grizzlies Easily Handled Suns

NBA GM Rips Jae Crowder

Suns Embarrassed in Loss to Grizzlies

Mikal Bridges Takes Responsibility for Spat With Deandre Ayton