Locked On Suns - Daily Podcast On The Phoenix Suns

On today’s episode, we discuss why Jamal Crawford doesn’t make a lot of sense as the stopgap guard the Suns have been looking for, then predict how the signing affects the Suns’ rotation early in the season.

Crawford hasn’t been a team’s full-time point guard at really any point in his career, and he’s 38. Defense has never been a strength for him. Where does he fit in Phoenix?

Plus, why T.J. Warren’s transition to power forward clears things up in the rotation, and whether Dragan Bender has any role at all after a frustrating summer of basketball.

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On today’s episode, we discuss the James Jones press conference Friday morning, and whether it really changes anything for the Suns.

Jones was tight-lipped about any major changes that could be coming, sticking to a surprisingly similar rebuilding script to the one Ryan McDonough used for five years. Maybe #TheTimeline lives on.

Finally, we close by discussing the shocking visit between free agent guard Jamal Crawford and Suns brass today at Talking Stick Resort Arena, as reported by Cronkite Sports’ Justin Parham on Twitter. (Hint: This makes no sense)

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On today’s episode, recap the Suns’ 116-83 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in the fifth and final game of the preseason.

Our usual recap format is back! We take some free throws on Josh Jackson’s playmaking and an interesting five-man lineup from the second half, then we call a flagrant foul on mistakes by Suns players and coaches. Finally, two stats to watch as we head into the regular season.

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On today’s episode, we address the latest rumblings surrounding the Suns’ front office, which include James Jones quickly emerging as the favorite in the general manager hunt.

In addition, revelations about Owner Robert Sarver’s continued, excessive involvement in the basketball operations in Phoenix bring new questions about the way the franchise moves forward.

We talk about what the future might hold.

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On today’s episode, we unpacked all of our thoughts into why the Suns fired general manager Ryan McDonough just over a week before the regular season begins. Beforehand, we quickly went over some takeaways from Phoenix’s surprising preseason victory on the road at Golden State.

When it comes to McDonough receiving the pink slip by majority owner Robert Sarver, there are many questions to ask outside of the timing.

Was McDonough placed into a lame duck position after James Jones was hired last summer, even though he was extended? Certainly seems like a plausible scenario at this stage, but the lack of progress over the summer is what Sarver pointed to in his interview with 98.7 FM. What does that say about the future of this roster, which Sarver said the rebuilding is done with?

Is James Jones a near lock at this point to have the interim tag stripped off him at season’s end. At this point in time, he’s the heavy favorite in both Evan and Brendon’s eyes due to the overhaul an outside addition would want to go through.

We will have more thoughts on this situation throughout the week, so be sure to tune in!

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On today’s episode, we discuss the Suns’ 115-93 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and what it means for their progress over their first week playing games together.

We recap the game using a new format, so tune in to see how we’re breaking down each contest during the 2018-19 season.

Topics include:How much the point guard position is hurting the Suns’ performance in other areasDeandre Ayton’s continued productivity on both endsThe good and bad of playmaking Josh JacksonAssists and 3s still not where coach Igor Kokoskov wants them

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On today’s episode, we discussed why Kyrie Irving announcing his intentions to remain in Boston directly impacts the Suns’ point guard search. With Marcus Smart also signed long-term with the Celtics, should General Manager Ryan McDonough get aggressive for Terry Rozier?

This discussion was a great segway into discussing the current situation on Phoenix’s roster. Who stood out most through two preseason games between Shaquille Harrison, Elie Okobo and De’Anthony Melton? Should Josh Jackson start in place of them instead alongside Devin Booker on opening night?

Finally, we did a quick preview of Friday’s final preseason home game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Deandre Ayton has done great thus far, but he’s in for his first real challenge against Jusuf Nurkic. And will someone finally separate themselves in the point guard race, possibly even veteran journeyman Isaiah Canaan once he returns from a thumb injury?

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On today’s episode, we break down what went right as the Suns won their first game under head coach Igor Kokoskov, beating the New Zealand Breakers, 91-86.

The biggest story was the continued dominance of Deandre Ayton, who posted another huge double-double and blocked three more shots. The Breakers’ physicality was no match for Ayton.

Around the rest of the roster, it was the veterans who stood out, from Trevor Ariza to T.J. Warren.

Plus, we saw our first glimpse of 2018 No. 46 overall pick De’Anthony Melton, his first competitive action besides Summer League since February 2017.

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On today’s episode, Evan and Brendon recorded live from Talking Stick Resort Arena after the Suns’ loss to the Kings in their preseason opener. There were plenty of things to go over from Monday’s action.

Not only did Deandre Ayton flash great moments on both ends, even being fed down the stretch cutting Sacramento’s lead, but Josh Jackson’s budding playmaking ability might have found the perfect match with head coach Igor Kokoskov. We posed the question of whether Phoenix should start Devin Booker and Jackson in their backcourt instead.

Also, what’s going wrong with Dragan Bender? After another disastrous performance, just how crucial is this month-long stretch for his career? The Suns have to pick up or decline his fourth-year team option soon, so what do we think they will do? Hint: If Bender keeps this up, Evan doesn’t think he will be around for long.

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On today’s episode, we discuss the Suns’ open practice at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Notes include:How the four point guards lookedThe role Deandre Ayton played and what that means for his rookie seasonA more aggressive Dragan BenderAnd we quickly preview the first preseason game based on a few comments from Igor Kokoskov after Saturday’s scrimmage.

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