Locked On Suns - Daily Podcast On The Phoenix Suns

On today’s episode, we quickly broke down some of the bigger takeaways from the Suns’ loss to Golden State on Sunday evening, 117-107. 

In a game where the Warriors coasted through the first half before breathing fire onto the Suns’ young roster for 12 third-quarter minutes, the visiting team showed signs of progress we’ve desperately wanted to see over the last two months. Aside from Danuel House Jr.’s massive unassisted alley-oop over Nick Young, we also saw strong performances out of Shaquille Harrison, Marquese Chriss, and Dragan Bender.

Finally, an update on Josh Jackson’s performance as a primary creator, especially his ability to avoid turnovers and make positive plays. Do his signs of progress over the past two weeks help the Suns feel more comfortable taking a big man at the top of this year’s draft?

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On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, Evan and Brendon finally put on the debate gloves for this one.

Who is the better prospect for the Suns at the top of the draft? Is it Luka Doncic or Deandre Ayton who is the prize in general manager Ryan McDonough’s eye?

We took deep dives on not only Doncic and Ayton but answered your mailbag questions throughout in this 45-minute episode. Enjoy!

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On today’s episode, we had our first competitive game in a while to break down. The Suns’ 104-103 loss to Houston came down to the final minute, in which James Harden, Josh Jackson, and Gerald Green traded buckets before Green ultimately won the game for the Rockets.

What a beautiful, perfect tanking loss.

Jackson and Tyler Ulis both continued to play well without Devin Booker and T.J. Warren, while Dragan Bender was benched in the first half and struggled with aggressiveness on offense once again.

Off the bench, young guys like Danuel House Jr. and Alec Peters got their first real shot in a while, with each playing over 20 minutes and providing a spark. It looks like Alan Williams has infused that unit with energy since returning on Monday.

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On today’s episode, we recapped the Suns’ 111-99 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, in which strong performances at the guard spot helped make it a more competitive and entertaining game than we’ve become used to.

Before that, we started the show with another update on the tank standings after another Grizzlies victory last night, which puts the Suns three losses ahead of both Memphis and Atlanta for the top lottery spot and a guaranteed top-three pick.

Tyler Ulis and Shaquille Harrison continue their strong play, and though it hasn’t been enough to lift the Suns without their two best scorers, it may have earned them consideration for a roster spot next season. 

Josh Jackson continues to earn more ball-handling responsibility for the Suns this year, though his jump shot continues to be a concern, especially based on the awkward new catch-and-shoot form he’s shown recently. Does his development change how the Suns should build the roster going forward?

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On today’s episode, we looked at the Suns’ 102-94 loss to the Celtics through the prism of the summer of 2018 and beyond for this rebuilding team.

The game was another glaring microcosm of the differences between Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, as well as Elfrid Payton’s worst game in Phoenix. It appears change is coming in the frontcourt and backcourt for one or more of those three.

In addition, for a game in which Alan Williams was making his return from injury, it was Tyler Ulis who suddenly looked spry and had his best game of the season, saying after the game that it is his own health that has made the biggest difference lately. 

We end the podcast by looking at who might be on the roster next season, especially with a top-3 pick nearly locked up after another Grizzlies victory last night. T.J. Warren might not be as much of a lock as it seems based on his price tag and scoring production.

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On today’s episode, we recapped the Suns’ two most recent games, both losses, to the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers. 

For about half the episode, we dove back into a debate we thought had passed: Whether the Suns should prioritize Dragan Bender or Marquese Chriss this offseason. If one were to move, who would we rather see go?

We also looked at how Josh Jackson has looked as the team’s primary initiator with T.J. Warren and Devin Booker out during this back-to-back. How has he looked compared with Elfrid Payton?

Finally, another look at the coaching search after an interesting Elite Eight battle between Jay Wright and Chris Beard earlier today. Does Beard make sense as a second-tier candidate for the Suns’ job?

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On today’s episode, in anticipation of the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight this weekend, we broke down all the first-round prospects to watch as the Suns mull their options with likely three first-round picks this June.

Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. at Duke have cemented themselves in the top 10, but which fits better in Phoenix? Which is a better overall prospect? How does Mikal Bridges fit into the mix at the end of the top 10, and can he do anything this weekend to raise his stock?

Additionally, Zhaire Smith and Texas Tech play Purdue tomorrow night, and Smith has an opportunity to vault even higher into the first-round after nearly posting a triple-double in the second round against Florida.

Which of these guys would you trade up for?

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On today’s episode, we look at how the Suns’ coaching staff went with a more balanced rotation Tuesday night against Detroit, with T.J. Warren and Devin Booker injured. The Suns lost, 115-88, but giving those young players time over the final 10 games will be important.

We looked at how the youngsters performed given the opportunity, including Davon Reed and Josh Jackson. Plus, we discussed the chances of the front office shutting down Warren and/or Booker for the remainder of the season after coach Jay Triano implied this week that it was not his decision.

Finally, after Marc Stein’s report in a New York Times newsletter this week that Villanova coach Jay Wright and Utah assistant Igor Kokoskov were the Suns’ top candidates, we take stock of the coaching situation around the league. How does Triano stack up as a candidate after the team’s struggles this season?

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On today's episode of Locked On Suns, Evan and Brendon ran through a lot of topics. Not only did we chat about Josh Jackson's breakout performance -- 36 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block -- but also how the likes of Marquese Chriss, Troy Daniels, and T.J. Warren played off of Jackson's infectious energy.

Is it time to start Jackson over Warren? Will Davon Reed ever play? It's nearing that time.

After Memphis snapped their 19-game losing streak, Phoenix now sits tied with them for best odds to land the No. 1 pick. We also ran through Memphis' upcoming schedule to see who will create distance.

In the end, we quickly ran through what's stood out to us so far in March Madness. Is this a worst-case scenario playing out from a scouting point of view? Both Evan and Brendon came away impressed with Kentucky's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Do any names make sense in a trade-up scenario with their Miami and Milwaukee picks in the mid-first, which are looking likely convey? There are plenty who fit the billing and named off a few we liked most.

We should get Josh on Locked On Suns more often for these career nights, right?

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This has been in the works for awhile, and it’s finally happening. On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, I was joined by a very special guest in Josh Jackson.

We bounced around on plenty of subjects related to his rookie season, how he plans to improve this summer, an up-close view of when Devin Booker gets scorching hot, and much, much more in our 25-minute interview right outside the Suns' practice court.

They switched locations last minute so I was unable to get to your reader questions without my laptop in front of me but this is well worth a listen as Jackson had plenty of intriguing answers littered throughout our discussion.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did, and make sure to subscribe on iTunes! This is the first of a lot of exclusive content with players that will be going on all throughout this offseason.

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