Yardbarker
x
Analyst Argues Phoenix Suns Have Nobody But Themselves to Blame for Catastrophic Game 2 Defeat to Minnesota
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Analyst Argues Phoenix Suns Have Nobody But Themselves to Blame for Catastrophic Game 2 Defeat to Minnesota

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics
By Christian Alamodin  |  Last updated 4/24/24

The Phoenix Suns are in a situation they never wanted to find themselves in. They understand coming into Game 2 that the last thing they want is to allow the Minnesota Timberwolves to do whatever they want on their home court and head to the Footprint Center with a two-game deficit.

However, they couldn’t to hold a candle to the Wolves as they just did whatever they wanted. As they head back to Phoenix with a daunting 0-2 hurdle to overcome, voices in and around the Suns are suggesting ways they can improve their output in Game 3.

One analyst even went forward and declared that the Suns’ overall approach over the past two games have been killing their chances against the Timberwolves

Analyst thinks the Phoenix Suns are not getting the most returns out of Bradley Beal

Jedd Pagaduan of ClutchPoints dissected how the Phoenix Suns failed to address their shortcomings in Game 1 and play a more competitive basketball game against the Timberwolves.

He pointed out Bradley Beal’s inefficiency as one of the biggest faults in Frank Vogel’s Game 2 approach. While he understood that the team sacrificed a lot to acquire his services, the way Vogel has been using him is far less than efficient:

Given how much the Suns invested in Beal, getting a 14-point night on 35 percent shooting on 17 shots in a game where the goal is to steal homecourt advantage isn’t ideal. The 30-year old guard was supposed to be a major upgrade over Chris Paul, and he still might be on an individual-level, but his fit in Phoenix is starting to become more and more questionable with each passing loss.

Beal has been a solid contributor for the Suns throughout the season. He had regular-season averages of 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 51.3% shooting and 43.0% from deep. However, the fact that he took so many shots when he only finished with a 35.5% clip is problematic for the Suns.

Defense is another issue altogether, but the Suns cannot win if they don’t score. They must find a way to get their stars open and make the series an exciting one for the Suns fans and the neutral basketball enjoyer.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.