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If you read the game preview there isn't much else to say. The Phoenix Suns have a 2-0 record, and in their two games showed the ability to score at will, and defend the best team in the league and hold them to 89 points. One thing we haven't seen yet is how Pacific leading Suns deal with a road game. The Utah Jazz are still figuring things out, but it's easier to do so at home. I'm not convinced that we're that much worse than the Suns are in reality. What's on paper counts a lot and the perspective is that Phoenix just barely missed the playoffs last season and got better; and that some observers expect this seasons' Jazz team to be worse than the last one. (I find that hard to believe though)
I'm excited for this game. You should be too because it's the return of our favorite non-John or Karl player: Jeff Hornacek. Despite playing in under 500 games for the franchise he is all over the map on the all-time Jazz lists and really helped the team go from being a playoff participant to being a title contender. What he has done with the Phoenix Suns has been remarkable as well.
Utah has their hopes on Quin Snyder being able to do a Hornecek-ian style rebuild in short order. It's possible, the Jazz have the parts to make it work. And I believe in what he is doing in practice and during the games. It's going to work out, but the early season schedule is doing the team no favors, unlike what the Phoenix Suns had last season. (Let's not forget that PHX beat some good teams, but also played UTA x3, SAC x2, ORL, and other lotto teams in their first 20 games on their way to a surprising record.)
Phoenix got into their flow early. Utah will take some time to start jamming. But it'll happen.
Maybe it'll happen tonight at home?
Starters:
| PG SG SF | G | MPG | PER | PPG | RPG | APG | A:TO | SPG | BPG | BARPS | /min | |||
| 1 | Trey Burke | 2 | 36.5 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 2.0 | 5.5 | 0.67 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 24.0 | 0.658 | ||
| 2 | Alec Burks | 2 | 31.0 | 19.3 | 16.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.00 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 22.0 | 0.710 | ||
| 3 | Gordon Hayward | 2 | 37.0 | 16.8 | 12.0 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 4.33 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 25.5 | 0.689 | ||
| 1 | Goran Dragic | 2 | 30.5 | 14.5 | 14.0 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.00 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 20.0 | 0.656 | ||
| 2 | Eric Bledsoe | 2 | 32.5 | 21.1 | 14.0 | 7.5 | 6.0 | 4.00 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 28.5 | 0.877 | ||
| 3 | Marcus Morris | 2 | 25.5 | 17.7 | 12.5 | 2.0 | 1.5 | und. | 1.0 | 0.5 | 17.5 | 0.686 | ||
| PF C | G | MPG | PER | PPG | RPG | APG | A:TO | SPG | BPG | BARPS | /min | |||
| 4 | Enes Kanter | 2 | 21.0 | 13.0 | 10.5 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 15.0 | 0.714 | ||
| 5 | Derrick Favors | 2 | 31.0 | 30.0 | 16.5 | 9.0 | 2.0 | 1.00 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 31.5 | 1.016 | ||
| 4 | Markieff Morris | 2 | 29.5 | 23.4 | 16.0 | 7.0 | 2.5 | 3.00 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 26.5 | 0.898 | ||
| 5 | Miles Plumlee | 2 | 20.0 | 14.3 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 0.5 | 1.00 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 14.0 | 0.700 |
The Jazz should house their bigs . . . especially when we go to the . . .
Bench:
| Bench | G | MPG | PER | PPG | RPG | APG | A:TO | SPG | BPG | BARPS | /min | |||
| 1 | Dante Exum | 2 | 14.5 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.33 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 4.5 | 0.310 | ||
| 2 | Joe Ingles | 2 | 7.5 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 0.333 | ||
| 3 | Rodney Hood | 2 | 19.0 | -1.8 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2.00 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 0.368 | ||
| 4 | Trevor Booker | 2 | 21.0 | 20.6 | 11.5 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16.5 | 0.786 | ||
| 5 | Rudy Gobert | 2 | 16.5 | 11.8 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 0.5 | 0.25 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 0.606 | ||
| 1 | Isaiah Thomas | 2 | 24.5 | 35.1 | 23.0 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 1.75 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 28.0 | 1.143 | ||
| 2 | Gerald Green | 2 | 20.5 | 5.3 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.67 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 11.5 | 0.561 | ||
| 3 | Shavlik Randolph | 2 | 13.0 | 8.3 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | 0.615 | ||
| 4 | Anthony Tolliver | 2 | 14.0 | 8.1 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | 0.571 | ||
| 5 | Alex Len | 2 | 25.0 | 14.9 | 6.5 | 8.0 | 0.5 | 1.00 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 16.0 | 0.640 |
I get their Isaiah Thomas is amazing. We already know that. But our bench bigs will play a huge role in this game.
Injuries:
- T.J. Warren (PHX) is out because of a fractured thumb
- P.J. Tucker (PHX) is out serving the last of his three game suspension
Other Stuff:
The Suns web team always does crazy stuff.