![]() ![]() In that standout performance, the Suns passed a key test: scoring on the Golden State defense in the third quarter. Bally Sports Arizona November 27, 2021Īfter a 1-3 start, the Suns have reestablished themselves as the team to beat in the Western Conference, with their win over the Warriors serving as the exclamation point. In limited minutes, McGee averaged 10.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest in November while shooting 65.2% from the field and scoring 1.13 points per-possession. The offseason addition of McGee is proving to be an especially shrewd move. With Cameron Payne, Cameron Johnson, Landry Shamet and JaVale McGee on the floor in November, the Suns scored 1.02 points per-possession and shot 48% from the field. While the Suns’ starters have been stellar, their bench unit has been a key part of the hot stretch as well. No look pass from the Point God to Bridges. Phoenix’s All-Star tandem scored 1.01 points per-possession in the pick and roll and 1.02 in isolation situations throughout November. Over their 16 wins, Ayton became a force within his role shooting 74% from the field as the roll man, Crowder and Bridges spaced the floor very well, shooting effective field goal percentages of 57.8% and 54.4% respectively on spot up jumpers, and when the Suns really needed a bucket, they could rely on Paul and Booker to deliver on their own. In November, with the starting unit on the floor, the Suns scored 1.08 points per-possession generated via pick and roll. They operate primarily through pick and rolls with Paul or Booker handling, Ayton setting the screen and Crowder and Bridges spotting up along the three-point line. The starting five of Paul, Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and Deandre Ayton checks a lot of boxes on the offensive end. The Suns attack is truly dynamic as they can play at different paces, punish defenses at all three levels, and go back and forth putting the ball in the hands of two of the game’s elite creators in Chris Paul and Devin Booker. ![]() The Suns averaged 1.04 points per-possession in the month of November, which would lead the NBA for the entire season. The Suns’ offense was virtually unstoppable over that stretch as they scored a league-best 114.4 points per game while shooting 48.8% from the field. Phoenix is now just the 7th team in NBA history to go 16-0 or better in a single calendar month. Their last loss came on October 27th, meaning they went undefeated in November. The Suns ultimately defeated the Warriors 104-96 on Tuesday to extend their winning streak to 17. While that cushion is going a longer way in the Western Conference than in the East, those four teams have been the gold standard through the first month, making the latter two teams’ matchup on Tuesday a particularly fitting conclusion to November. The Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, and Phoenix Suns have built a small cushion above the fray. While the middle of the standings could not be much more fluid as a result, there is some clarity at the top of both conferences. After offensive performance wound up being the key separator across the league by the end of the regular season last year, the scoring bubble bursting seems to have opened up a few seats at the table for young teams forming identities on the defensive end. Scoring efficiency may be down, but the rise in the number of teams playing competitive basketball and holding onto playoff aspirations has made this season feel very compelling. The league landscape has started to sort itself out in some small ways through the first quarter of the season, but its defining characteristic at this point is the cluster of teams playing to a near-even efficiency differential. A little parity can go a long way in the NBA. ![]()
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