![]() During LeBron’s first season in Miami, he was a little too passive, often deferring to Wade. Somewhat different situation, but it’s reminiscent of when LeBron James joined Dwayne Wade on the Miami Heat. However, as the games tighten up each playoff round, Durant is the unguardable superstar who needs to take Phoenix back to the Finals. It’s a fine line because Devin Booker has been rolling so far in the playoffs. But he still needs to be fully integrated into their offensive system. Durant will be a pivotal factor in this.ĭurant ultimately ends up getting his numbers each game. One key for Phoenix will be forcing Jokić into pick-and-roll situations and having him step outside his comfort zone on defense. Nikola Jokić is more comfortable playing drop-back defense in pick-and-roll situations rather than stepping up to guard the ball handler. Meanwhile, Booker and Chris Paul are second and fourth, respectively, among active second-round players. He’s shooting 51.5 percent on 6.6 mid-range shots a game. Get Kevin Durant More Involvedĭurant is first among players in the playoffs in mid-range field goal attempts plus mid-range field goal percentage. Of course, that critical fifth player will also be on head coach Monty Williams to recognize who has the hot hand and what matchups benefit each player. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same player each time, just as long as someone is producing and reliable enough to play as that fifth guy in the lineup at the end of games. Whether it’s Payne, Torrey Craig, Josh Okogie, or someone else, the Suns need contributions outside their star players to make a deep run in the playoffs. Backup guard Cameron Payne returned from his back injury and should be a factor in this series. However, teams will bring double teams toward Booker and Durant, forcing the Suns’ fifth guy in their lineup to make plays on offense. For example, Durant has played 89 minutes in the past two games. The good news for them is that teams in the playoffs heavily rely on superstars playing significantly more minutes. They weren’t deep before the trade for superstar Kevin Durant and are even shallower now. The Phoenix Suns have one of the worst benches in the entire league. Suns’ Role Players Contribute in the Aggregate So the Suns need Ayton to stay on the court if they want a chance in this series. ![]() Bismack Biyombo has done well filling in when Ayton has needed a breather, but the Nuggets and Jokić pose a more difficult challenge. The two of them were the only players in the first round of the playoffs to foul out multiple times. Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns were often in foul trouble in Jokić’s last series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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