Preview: Suns Face Sizzling Timberwolves
Editors note: Bradley Beal has been ruled out for tonight.
The Phoenix Suns are reeling, and this might be the matchup they need to give fans a litmus test of where they really are as a squad.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking much more like the squad that was expected after the Rudy Gobert trade than they did at any point last year. The team is currently 8-2 and sit at second in the Western Conference while also boasting the best defense in the NBA.
This will be a throw-into-the-fire situation for both teams, and an elite chess match should ensue.
While this matchup should be seen as an important test for both sides in many ways, there are three specific storylines that may impact the game.
Booker's Return?
Booker's return against Minnesota had been expected the last two days, but the team confirmed that their franchise player is probable for the game.
Booker is set to play his third game of the season against a stout Timberwolves defense, but Booker has tended to historically hold up well against top defenses.
The guard looks to continue taking over point-guard duties for the Suns in an effective way, as he has garnered 22 assists in the two games played so far this year.
Booker's return couldn't have come at a better time. The Suns' MVP is back and looking to get the team on a roll after a slow start.
Nurkic-Gobert Matchup
Rudy Gobert looks revitalized after a rough first season in Minnesota. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year looks poised to add a fourth trophy to his collection as he is spearheading the league's best defense.
Gobert's presence will be tough to deal with for the Suns as a whole, but Jusuf Nurkic likely bears most of that burden.
While the Suns big man haas been much better than expected on the defensive end of the ball, averaging 2.4 steals+blocks per game, while also being a great passer/connector of the offense, his scoring efficiency has left much to be desired so far.
He is averaging just over 10 points per game on 49.7% true shooting. Pitting an inefficient post scorer against the best rim protector of our generation isn't the most ideal scenario, but fortunately Nurkic isn't usually asked to score in droves anyways.
He will need to find other ways to impact the game, such as taking the ball on the perimeter and finding cutters or off-ball spot ups with the impeccable timing and precision that he's shown in the Suns' ten contests so far.
He will also be asked to be the anchor for the Suns against the Uber-athletic Anthony Edwards. This will be yet another test for Nurk, and while he has been a pleasant surprise on defense, he also has trouble accumulating fouls at times.
The bottom line- the starting big man is going to need to stay out of foul trouble and continue to find ways to impact the Suns' offense outside of scoring
Jaden McDaniels' Murky Status
There is a possibility that Timberwolves starter Jaden McDaniels is suspended for tonight's game in response to the scuffle in last night's Wolves-Warriors contest which saw him, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green get ejected.
If McDaniels faces a suspension, it would be a huge loss for Minnesota. Mcdaniels is a key cog in the rotation as a lockdown defender and an improving offensive weapon. He would likely be tasked with either shadowing Booker or Durant, and losing him would put much pressure on Anthony Edwards or a Kyle Anderson to pick up the slack.
It may not be likely, but it is possible that he faces a one game suspension, and Suns fans should certainly keep an eye on any news throughout the day.
