The Phoenix Suns (14-13) and Denver Nuggets (15-11) were among the few Western Conference teams considered true contenders ahead of the new NBA season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Instead, through untimely injuries and lackluster play below expectations, both teams are vying for a spot in the play-in, much less the playoffs, in a hyper-competitive Western Conference.
Not only will Phoenix be without star guard Devin Booker (groin) and Grayson Allen (concussion), it will be desperately looking to turn the tides in a home-and-home mini-series against Denver after dropping its last two games to teams with losing records (Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons).
To add to that, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic is yet again playing at an MVP level, averaging 30.9 points, 13.0 rebounds and 9.8 assists.
As the Suns battle various injuries and concerning defensive trends, here are three things to watch as Phoenix takes on Denver Monday night:
1. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers
Phoenix’s defensive struggles as of late (122.0 defensive rating in its last seven games ranks last in the league) has been compound by ball insecurity. Their 19 turnovers against the Detroit Pistons was one of the main reasons the Suns lost despite a 43 point effort from Kevin Durant.
In its last seven games (2-5 record), Phoenix is averaging 15.1 turnovers and 19.7 points off those turnovers per game.
The inability to control the ball against teams like Denver that are inherently able to turn misses and turnovers into easy transition baskets is a point of contention that the Suns need to address, fast.
Otherwise, they will keep getting burned by fast athletic teams like the Indiana Pacers, Pistons and Nuggets.
“I got to be better… we got to be better, but I can’t compound the problem having eight turnovers.” – Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5)
KD takes the blame for the loss. He had 43 points but also 8 turnovers in the loss. #SunsUp pic.twitter.com/hLUYuqCpIH
— Burn City Suns ☀️ (@BurnCitySuns) December 22, 2024
2. Nurkic and Suns containing Jokic
Surprisingly enough, Suns polarizing center Jusuf Nurkic has done a decent job containing Jokic — as much as one can contain arguably the best player on the planet.
In 18 career matchups, Nurkic has held the three-time MVP to just 21.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. One of their more notable matchups came last season on Dec. 1, 2023, where Nurkic scored 31 points on Jokic and held him to just 21 points and 16 assists.
Sure, Denver’s star still put up some gaudy numbers, but what there is to glean about Nurkic matching up with Jokic is that the Bosnian big man forces the big Serbian to facilitate more rather than score.
This is important because Jokic has needed to be more of a scorer than he prefers with a depleted Nuggets roster incapable of scoring as efficiently as the preeminent contenders they once were.
3. Starting fast starts with the backcourt
The Nuggets are playing the back end of a back-to-back against the Suns as they are coming off a 132-129 overtime win in New Orleans. They are going to be relatively gassed and the Suns need to take advantage of it starting with guards Bradley Beal and Tyus Jones.
Again, this Denver team is not the Nuggets of old, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is gone and Jamal Murray has since dwindled in production. While Christian Braun has been a promising wing defender, Beal must win that matchup convincingly (and early) if the Suns want to take control of the game.
With Booker out, Beal stepped up against Detroit, scoring 26 points and adding six boards and five dimes.
Booker or not, Jones has stepped up the most of any role player in Phoenix. In his last five games, he is averaging 17.0 points and 6.o assists on absurd 59.6/63.0/100.0 shooting splits. Suns coach Mike Budenholzer expects Jones to continue to be aggressive in Booker’s absence.
As long as the backcourt duo gets it going on Denver’s travel legs, the Suns could take early control and secure a much-needed win ahead of the holidays.
Suns’ Kevin Durant nominated for 2024 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year
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Reporter Connor Moreno covers the Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @cmorenosports, and on Bluesky, @cloading.bsky.social
