The new look Phoenix Suns travelled to Portland to take on the Blazers on opening night, Tuesday, October 26. The Suns hung tough with Portland for 3 and 1/2 quarters, but faltered down the stretch as the Blazers pulled away with an 18-1 run to finish the game with a 106-92 victory.
Portland dominated all night on the glass, getting second and third shots regularly. Nicolas Batum played well on both ends of the floor, and was defended by Steve Nash for much of the night. Batum, with a 7'6" wingspan, easily shot and rebounded over Nash on offense, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Brandon Roy scored 24 points, had 6 assists and 3 steals. Wes Matthews had a triumphant debut, scoring 13 points and grabbing 6 boards in 30 minutes. The Blazers were +22 with Matthews in the game. Matthews signed a contract with Portland this summer paying the young guard $10 million this season to pry him away from the Jazz.
Phoenix relied more on Nash for scoring than a season ago when they had 20 ppg to rely on from Amare Stoudemire. Nash was accurate as usual, scoring 26 points on 19 attempts. He added 6 assists. Hedo Turkoglu's debut was not as successful as Matthew's. Turkoglu finished with 6 points and 3 rebounds, but did hold Aldridge to 8 points. Jason Richardson was on fire, shooting 9 for 13 from the field and scoring 22 points. It was a wonder the Suns didn't go to J-Rich more often. Hakim Warrick also had a nice night, scoring 10 points in 18 minutes.
The Trailblazers look like they're ready for another 50 win season. They are long, athletic, disciplined and have a top 20 player in Brandon Roy. The big question for Portland is, as it has been for the last three or four seasons, can they stay healthy...especially when it counts? This team has the pieces to give the Lakers fits in the playoffs, and they have younger legs.
The Suns are a mediocre team, with Nash they are pretty good. Nash probably can carry Phoenix on his shoulders through the year, but at what expense to the next two or three years? Phoenix needs to find more scoring, and I think it should come from Hakim Warrick. Warrick set a couple nice picks for Nash, and was rewarded with layups on the role. He has the explosiveness to somewhat fill the pick and roll slot left by Amare, the Suns will just have to be creative as to where to set the play. Warrick can also hit a jump shot, so he fits well in this offense. The Suns would be better off if Warrick can average around 15-16 ppg. Another Phoenix problem is rebounding. They were out-rebounded 60-38 (including team rebounds), and do not have the scoring or shot-blocking threats to make up for that discrepancy. It might be a long season for the Suns, but with a healthy Steve Nash, this team might slip in to the playoffs.
No comments:
Post a Comment