SB Nation Arizona - Suns Fall To Nuggets In Final Preseason Game, 110-85

Phoenix Suns Preseason Grades: Gentry Sees Slim Margin For Error

2011-12-23T18:02:06Z

The Phoenix Suns finished their preseason with two disappointing blowout losses to the Denver Nuggets. There was plenty to be concerned about from the Suns as coach Alvin Gentry expressed after Thursday's loss when he repeated a phrase we hard frequently last season.

"We've got to get everyone playing at a real high level," Gentry said Thursday. "Our margin for error is not great."

There were also several bright spots from the preseason. In this slim margin for error environment, we'll have to hang our hats on these positives to avoid spiraling down into a pit of despair or even worse, fall into the apathy trap that comes from extended periods of mediocrity with no hope for improvement.

In the first preseason game on the road, things fell apart in the first half as the Suns turnovers and poor defensive rebounding led to an insurmountable 63-49 deficit by the intermission.

In the second game, the Nuggets didn't play three of their key guys (Nene, Ty Lawson and Al Harrington) and were still able to put the Suns away with a 16-3 run to open the fourth quarter.

The preseason really isn't too much about team play for a veteran group like Phoenix. Player rotations are much different than we'll see in the regular season and plays aren't even always called late in games.

What matters more from preseason and the entire training camp is individual evaluations. Here's ours for the Suns.

Breaking the Bank

These guys stood out in the preseason by playing above expectations or at least proving they could meet them.

Markieff Morris: The Suns 13th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft was said to be a well-rounded player who could do a little of everything on the basketball court. He had a reputation for being a tough kid with a great motor to go along with those skills. All of that was on display which is very encouraging.

Morris finished the two preseason games with 11 points, 7.5 rebounds, and two blocks per game. He also fouled out of both contests playing less than 30 minutes.

The rookie showed a bit of everything offensively and certainly wasn't bashful about getting his shot off. He also made rookie mistakes, especially on defense, and has a lot to learn about the NBA game and officiating. One thing he's not shown us yet is if he can be an effective finisher working with Steve Nash on the pick and roll.

Overall, it seems very likely that Morris will be a positive contributor to the team this season perhaps playing about 17 minutes per game and on occasion having big scoring nights. His rebounding and defensive effort should be a constant and he'll likely show good progress throughout the season.

With Marcin Gortat dealing with a broken thumb, we could see more Morris early in the season than planned.

Video: Markieff Morris after preseason Game 2

Robin Lopez: Robin came back from the break with a refreshed and healthy body and has returned to his old level of athleticism from before the 2010 back injury. On the very first day of the season, he demonstrated a new positive attitude and he's been a bright spot all through camp.

While Lopez is probably several seasons away from become a consistent scoring threat and his rebounding numbers will likely still lag behind expectations, his mobility and defensive presence will be important for the Suns. Despite having an off shooting night (1-6 from the field), Lopez finished Thursday's game with the best plus/minus differential of any Suns player.

Video: Robin Lopez on the first day back from the lockout

Hakim Warrick: Warrick came into the season as the guy most likely to get edged out of the front court rotation. His defense and rebounding last season made it difficult to play him at power forward and he's struggled in the past defending wing players.

Warrick's best chance for playing time is to provide a scoring punch off the bench and he did that with 14.5 points in the two preseason games which led the Suns. Hakim was consistently effective from mid-range and showed off his abilities in the post and on the pick and roll. If Warrick continues to play at this level, it will be hard to keep him on the bench despite his defensive challenges.

Jared Dudley: Jared Dudley didn't do anything in the preseason we hadn't seen before but it was great to see him back and looking very comfortable in a starting roll. As a starting two guard, Dudley will have a size advantage in the post and has shown he still has the ability to play with his back to the basket (he was a power forward in college).

Dudley is still one of the smartest players in the league and always seems to be in the right place defensively. He can struggle guarding quicker guys in isolation but makes up for that in other ways.

Video: Jared Dudley after preseason Game 2

Making the Grade

These are the guys who are who we thought they were.

Steve Nash: Nash is still Nash and there's no reason to think he won't start the season very strong and finish at or near the top of the assists category in the league. His shot was on in Denver for the first game (5-7) and off on Thursday (2-9). His ability to shoot consistently this season will be huge for the Suns and in the past it's his outside shot that's suffered when his body isn't right.

As you expect with a vet like Nash, the preseason didn't tell us anything we didn't already know.

Video: Nash on the first day back after the lockout

Grant Hill: Hill didn't play in the first preseason game due to a sore knee and didn't put up big numbers in 25 minutes of the second game. Gentry has hinted that he will try and keep Grant at about 20 minutes per game but as we know, when the bullets start flying it's very difficult to keep this guy on the bench. He could start the season slow and there will certainly be nights where the schedule gets to his 39-year-old body, but overall, Grant is still Grant.

Marcin Gortat: Gortat looked good in the first preseason game but missed the second with a broken thumb that's going to hamper him, especially shooting, for the first month or so of the season. It's too soon to say how much improvement Gortat will show over last year but even if he's "only" the same guy, the Suns will need his rebounding and scoring.

Video: Marcin Gortat talking about his thumb injury

Ronnie Price: Price is living up to his reputation as a gritty defensive player who's athletic but not particularly skilled as a point guard. He seemingly has jumped over Sebastian Telfair as the primary back up to Nash. With Price in the game Thursday, the Suns ran pick and roll with Shannon Brown handling the ball or went into the post. While Price will likely not be the guy running the offensive show, his defense should keep him on the floor. His tough mentality has impressed the coaching staff and will win the hearts of many fans.

Shannon Brown: Shannon Brown is still adjusting to the Suns system. Some guys come to Phoenix and aren't used to shooting so they are too timid. Other guys come to Phoenix and hear the "green light" and shoot too much. So far, Brown has fallen into that later category. He is skilled and can get his shot off at times, but we're looking for him to play more in the flow of the offense. There's no reason to think he won't do that once the regular season starts.

Falling short

These are the guys who didn't make the grade.

Josh Childress: Childress is going to be asked to play a bigger role this season backing up Grant Hill. So far in preseason he still doesn't look like he's in sync.

Gentry was very candid talking about what Childress needs to do, "He's got to be a little more active, I think with what his approach is, and I think he's got to create some situations with offensive rebounds and things like that and then he's got to get out and run."

If Childress isn't getting it done, the Suns could push him back to the bench and play Dudley and Brown together more.

Sebastian Telfair: Bassy was brought in to be more of a pure point playing behind Nash off the bench. His four turnovers in the first preseason game moved him behind Price and he only saw six minutes of garbage time action in the second game. Telfair might need more time to adjust before figuring it out with the Suns, but his preseason campaign has not been encouraging.

Channing Frye: Frye is 1-14 in two preseason games with a total of eight rebounds. That's not going to get it done and he knows it. But we're not too worried about Frye. He's been consistent in his two years with the Suns and proven how important he is to the team. The effort is there and we expect Channing will be fine once things get going, but his preseason left a lot to be desired. Frye said Thursday night he's been playing with too much emotion and just needs to dial in the right level so he's not putting so much pressure on himself with each shot.

Other

Garret Siler: Garret Siler really didn't show anything more than we saw last season. He's fairly skilled around the rim and a big body but still not all that mobile. He's a good guy to have on the roster but is not likely to contribute much this season.

Marcus Landry: Marcus Landry is a solid practice player with upside. Like his brother Carl, he's very tough and works extremely hard. He's a more perimeter-oriented version of Gani Lawal and could make the team to provide depth and be a solid guy on the practice floor.

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Phoenix Suns End Preseason With 2nd Loss To Nuggets, 110-85

2011-12-23T04:37:46Z

The Phoenix Suns ended their two-game preseason with two losses to the Denver Nuggets. The Suns looked decent in the first half, but things fell apart in the second with Steve Nash only playing 10 minutes (26 total for the game).

Denver took a 77-71 lead into the fourth quarter before the Suns offense, with mostly reserve players, were unable to score for 3:20 until guard Shannon Brown hit a three-point shot.

Considering the rotations played, the Suns weren't horrible but they clearly are going to struggle again this season when Nash isn't on the floor. The Denver Nuggets bench had too much talent for the Suns to handle and they didn't play several of their top guys including Nene, Al Harrington and Ty Lawson.

"We've got a lot of work to do -- at the end of the day we have a lot of work that we've got to getdone and we have a very short time to do it in before we start playing games that count," coach Alvin Gentry.

Positives from the game were the strong play of rookie Markieff Morris and the continued scoring from Hakim Warrick. Jared Dudley was his usual solid self and Robin Lopez played a good game starting in place of the injured Marcin Gortat.

"Coach has confidence in me to just go out there and play basketball and have fun," Morris said.

The Suns were led by 17 points from Jared Dudley. Hakim Warrick added 15 and Shannon Brown, 14. The Suns shot just 38 percent from the field and turned the ball over 19 times and were out-rebounded 54-40 with most of the damage coming in the second half.

Visit Bright Side of the Sun for more discussion.

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Phoenix Suns Vs. Denver Nuggets Half Time Report: Warrick Scoring Inside And Out

2011-12-23T03:27:11Z

The Phoenix Suns played a much better half of basketball on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets than they did on Tuesday. After trailing 26-16 after the first quarter the Suns outscored the Nuggets 34-26 in the second quarter to finish the first half down 52-50.

You don't want to read too much into it, preseason rotations and all, but the Suns cleaned up a lot of their issues from Tuesday night and finished the half minus-one in both total rebounds (24-23) and turnovers (9-8). Phoenix held Denver to 41 percent shooting from the field but still gave up 24 points in the paint.

Hakim Warrick continues to make a case for more playing time. His outside shot is still falling and his work in the post earned him numerous trips to the line. He led the Suns at the half with 13 points on 4-7 shooting and 5-8 from the line.

Robin Lopez started off the game very active with a block of Timofey Mozgov on the first possession and then an offensive rebound on the other end. His activity on the glass drew two fouls and he recorded 3 points, 2 rebounds and a block in just 3:34 of action before being replaced by Markieff Morris. Lopez didn't put up big numbers but was a defensive presence with solid rotations and good post defense.

The rookie Markieff Morris was very impressive on both ends of the floor although his on-ball defense is definitely a work in progress. He showed no hesitation looking for his offense and led the team in first quarter shot attempts with six attempted and three made. He drew fouls and recorded 4 rebounds and 3 blocks in his 11 minutes.

Ronnie Price was the first guard in off the bench for Steve Nash and while he didn't make mistakes, the Nuggets lead ballooned from 3 to 10 in just two minutes with Nash on the bench. Things picked up in the second quarter and the deficit was back down to four when Nash checked in with six minutes left in the half.

With Nash on the bench, the Suns either ran the ball through the post with Warrick getting several touches and handling them well. If Phoenix did run pick and roll, Shannon Brown was the ball handler instead of Price.

In the second quarter with the starters back in, Phoenix mixed up the point of attack nicely and definitely had a nice flow going with Jared Dudley and Grant Hill on the floor together with Nash, Warrick and Lopez.

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Phoenix Suns Waive Mickael Pietrus

2011-12-23T00:30:08Z

The Phoenix Suns have made one of their least-surprising announcements of the offseason, as they've parted ways with swingman Mickael Pietrus. The Phoenix Suns sent a brief press release stating the team reached a "financial agreement" with Pietrus who never reported to the team after his trade to the Toronto Raptors fell through.

Pietrus seems to be on the downside of his career, as he averaged only six to seven points with the Orlando Magic and the Suns (after being traded from Orlando) last season and was down to playing around 20 minutes a game.

Pietrus was actually traded this offseason to the Toronto Raptors, but the deal fell apart when the Raptors had question marks about Pietrus's knee and its overall health. Don't expect Pietrus to be out of commission for long though; he'll probably be back and helping out another team in need of versatility, and will try and track him down if he proves he can recover from his original injury.

The Suns still do owe Pietrus $5.3 million in guaranteed salary, but the buyout settlement will save Phoenix $1.2 million reportedly, and that the swingman free agent will make up what he lostin future signings.

To discuss Suns basketball, head on over to Bright Side of the Sun.

Marcin Gortat 'The Polish Machine' Insists Broken Thumb Won't Stop Him [VIDEO]

2011-12-22T20:04:57Z

Marcin Gortat is a warrior. His nickname earned while playing in Europe is the Polish Machine. You can't stop a machine by breaking his thumb.

The Polish Machine explained:

"You know what, I'm not going to back off from anything. You got to cut my arm off, cut my head off to make sure I'm not going to play. As long as I can walk, as long as I can see everything, I'm going to be playing. I've been waiting for a chance to play as a starter for so many years, I'm not going to give it up like that."

Gortat broke the bone at the tip of his right thumb in the second quarter of Tuesday's game in Denver when either Rudy Fernandez or Timofey Mozgov slapped down at the ball that was in Gortat's hands.

"This is a huge disappointment to me but I guess that's how it has to be right now," he said.

Gortat didn't participate in shoot around on Thursday and will be held out of the Suns' second preseason game. He did get some work in after practice but only was using his left hand. Not once did he touch the ball with his right hand which he held close to his body during shooting and running drills.

Marcin hopes the thumb will feel even better by Monday's season opener, but it certainly sounds like he's going to play regardless. It remains to be seen how effective he can be on offense and rebounding the ball.

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Phoenix Suns Vs. Denver Nuggets: Preview, Schedule And Notes From Coach Gentry

2011-12-22T19:43:50Z

The Phoenix Suns will play their second and final preseason game of the 2011-12 NBA season on Thursday night at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, AZ. The game tips at 7:00 p.m. and will not be broadcast on TV although Al McCoy, as he's done since 1972, will have the radio call on 620am. The Suns will face the Denver Nuggets who defeated the Suns 127-110 on Tuesday to open the preseason.

Phoenix Suns injury and line up report:

The Phoenix Suns will likely start small forward Grant Hill who missed the preseason opener due to a sore knee. The starters and regular rotation players could play a little longer than in the first game in Denver.

Robin Lopez will start Thursday night in place of center Marcin Gortat who suffered a broken bone in his right thumb on Tuesday. Gortat insists that he will be ready to play in the Suns opener on December 26 against the New Orleans Hornets but his coach said that decision depend on what the doctors say.

The rest of the starting line up should be the same with Steve Nash, Channing Frye and Jared Dudley taking the floor.

Coaches Notes from Alvin Gentry:

Gentry was displeased with the 60 points in the paint his team allowed in the first game against Denver and put a lot of emphasis on the 16 turnovers and 17 offensive rebounds allowed. Another point of focus was making sure the weak side player on offense knows to get back as soon as shot goes up. The Suns transition defense was fooled Tuesday night by the Denver player who would sprint into the front court as soon as they contested a Suns perimeter shot.

"We spent a lot more time, I know it's hard to believe, but we spent a lot more time defensively trying to get things in order and we've got to try and find a way to get better at that," Gentry said Thursday morning.

Bright Side of the Sun blog will have a live game thread for the game.

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Phoenix Suns Injury Update: Marcin Gortat Will Try And Play Through Broken Thumb

2011-12-21T22:49:00Z

The Phoenix Suns looked like they could be in serious trouble when their starting center Marcin Gortat went down with what ended up being a thumb injury. Gortat has a broken right thumb that could seriously hamper his ability to score.

Paul Coro of AZCentral reports that the Polish Hammer will try his best to play through the pain.

Gortat will sit out Thursday night's preseason finale and not practice before Monday's season opener but will "probably" play the opener while wearing a splint, Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said. He said Gortat's thumb is expected to take two to three weeks to heal.

"I'm going to fight for my spot," Gortat said Tuesday night. "As long as I'm walking and seeing everything in front of me, I'm going to ready to play. I'll be ready for Monday night's game."

If Gortat struggles with his effectiveness, that could open up the starting job back up to Robin Lopez. Even if Lopez is probably better as a 15-20 minute guy, he does have some experience carrying the load and is a solid defensive player who looks improved so far this preseason.

Channing Frye and Garret Siler might also see some playing time as well. But if Gortat struggles or is in some way impaired by the injury, the Suns will struggle with any of the many teams in the West with capable big men. It'll be a difficult situation to overcome.

To discuss Gortat's situation with Phoenix fans, head on over to Bright Side of the Sun.

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Phoenix Suns Injury Update: Marcin Gortat Suffers Broken Thumb In Preseason Game

2011-12-21T15:48:08Z

The Phoenix Suns lost their first preseason game to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. They are hoping they didn't lose more than that one game that doesn't even go on their permanent record. Starting center Marcin Gortat suffered broken thumb in the game and will be evaluated further on Wednesday in Phoenix.

According to this report by the Arizona Republic's Paul Coro, Gortat was diagnosed after the game with a hairline fracture on his right thumb. He's confident the injury won't cause him to lose any playing time.

Phoenix Suns make sloppy preseason debut
"Hell, no," Gortat told Coro after the game. "I've still got my left (thumb). I'm not going to give up my spot."

Gortat played 25 minutes and scored 14 points and had eight rebounds. He went 8-10 at the free throw line which was an encouraging sign for the Suns who want to draw more fouls this season. The injury reportedly came when Denver Nuggets guard Rudy Fernandez reached in to slap at the ball.

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