The Phoenix Suns Schedule Is RELEASED, Will They Be A Playoff Team Next Season?

The Phoenix Suns Schedule Is RELEASED, Will They Be A Playoff Team Next Season?

On today’s show, I got a banger for you. The Sun’s schedule is out. Not only that, I got an interesting guest to to do a deep dive into some Jaylen Green, Devin Booker talk, as well as some intriguing but also obscure Suns lineups. Let’s go. You are Locked On Suns, your daily Phoenix Suns podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. What is up? Welcome back into Locked on Phoenix Suns. My name is Benjamin Garcia, host of the Ben Garcia Show Mornings on YouTube and a credentialed Suns media member. Thanks for making Locked on Suns first listen here on this beautiful Friday. Don’t forget, Locked on Suns is free and available on all platforms, including YouTube. So, click that follow or subscribe button to do what thousands, dare I say millions of Suns fans have already done. Come in every day and get locked onto the Phoenix Suns here each and every day. This episode is brought to you by Monarch Money. Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code locked on NBA at monarchoney.com for 50% off your first year. Joining me today, a very, very special guest. Honestly, sometimes at times I’m not sure he really likes me, which is even better. That’s why I want to bring him on even more. But I usually have to write out what people do. Even my guy John Void, who joins me every Monday on Lockdown Suns, contributor for Forbes, and I think one of the smarter NBA guys, a credentialed Suns media member as well. My guy Shane Young. This is my way of asking you. I’m very sensitive. Do you actually like me? Way too nice of an intro for me, Ben. Appreciate that. I like you a lot. Except if it’s about Jason Tatum. We We We just We just can’t talk about If we agree to not talk about Jason Tatum ever again, we will get along fine in the end. Oh my goodness, man. You remember that one night where you where you and I were talking and you were like, “Hey, just so you know,” or you said something along the lines of the Celtics might hit might shoot 55 threes tonight and make 35 of them. And I think they hit like 34 or something way too close. And that was my most memorable day of the season because I tweeted out something about Jason Tatum and I had the whole city of Boston down my back the entire day. And I’m like, “Listen guys, Kevin Durant’s gone after me. The Celtics have gone after me. I’m not ash I’m not worried about uh the the slack that’s going to come off my back from this. But Shane, uh the NBA schedule is officially released. We’re also going to talk some Jaylen Green, Devin Booker. We’ve done that a bit on this show, but I also just want to do it because I think you’re a really smart NBA guy and it’d be fun to actually get your thoughts on that as well. But the NBA schedule has been released. It’s a little less of a bigger deal when it comes to these kind of things because you play all the same teams every year. But now we know where it’s going to be, when it’s going to be. And lo and behold, here is the schedule. The Phoenix Suns will kick off the season as it is a little small here, but against the Sacramento Kings, I want to make sure I have my date right. That looks like I’m just gonna have to pull this up. Looks like it’s the 23rd. 23rd. 22nd, man. 22. 22nd. I could I thought I read 22nd earlier, but we’re off the rails that year. We’re off the rails already. We’re already off the rails in the first three minutes. Um, the Suns schedule was released. You know, what are your kind of first thoughts immediately when it comes to this Sun schedule release? And it doesn’t mean a ton to you, right? Like I I think maybe like three or four years ago, I cared a lot about this day, right? like it was like, “Oh my god, I get to see like when my favorite superstars, you know, this is before I’m like, you know, seriously going to games and stuff, right?” Um, but now it’s, you’re right, like you’re going to play the same, it’s just a matter of what what interests me is seeing the the um, what’s the word I’m looking for? Like the the jumbling like the baseball series, like, oh, you’re going to play the Clippers twice in a row. I think the league is doing that a lot more these days. like they’re having, you know, I think they’re having the the Clippers go to uh No, it it’s the Suns. They’re having the Suns go to New Orleans, right? Just for a quick December 26, 27 back toback and then you’re out of there, right? So, I like stuff like that. Um those little nooks and crannies of of the schedule. But, um it really largely doesn’t mean a lot. But for the Suns in particular, Ben, I gotta say like just first glance ESPN schedule, right? because I I looked at it about an hour after it came out. It it really makes you seem like it it we know there’s 41 home, 41 road. We know that. But it kind of looks like there’s way more road games than home games. We know that’s not true. It’s just our mind playing tricks on us. But they’re very roadheavy like early on like Well, you know, in in in the winter months, very very roadheavy. Well, as you’re kind of mentioning as well, like we’ll see each other on the 22nd against the Sacramento Kings. as I had to blow this up even further, but immediately on the road against the Clippers, on the road against the Denver Nuggets, on the road against the Utah Jazz. Mhm. You are potentially looking at because the Sacramento Kings are, I mean, at least a viable team and I think in the same tier as the Suns, an 0 and3 start to your season. I don’t think that’s exactly the case. Maybe not. But I wouldn’t say it’s a tough schedule, but what I always find the most interesting is how do you start, but more importantly, how do you finish? We always go back like two years ago when the Suns played like a gauntlet of 10 teams in a row and they went seven and three. They went to the playoffs and then they got immediately hammered. It is to end the season the last four games. Houston, who we expect to be a playoff team and a really good team which will be at home and is that Kevin Durant’s return game? I guess it doesn’t really matter. He’s way he’s like in November. You play the Houston Houston twice or four times but you play him twice home so that makes sense. Uh Dallas at home which is expected to be a really good team. Cooper Flag & Company, the Lakers, Luca Donuch, and then again with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The the I will say, Ben, the resting Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s probably a gimme if you need it. They will they will have 66 67 wins. They’ll they’ll be resting. Yeah. And probably your second favorite team, I would add, with how much of a fan you are when it comes to be the the Oklahoma the Oklahoma City Thunder. But also to your point as well, I want to continue to point this out. There’s several road trips in the middle of the season. December, you got the Pelicans again back toback like you had mentioned in New Orleans, but then you got the Wizards and then you got Cleveland and then you come home for two games in January. And then uh I’m sorry, you come home and you have a kind of a little split between you’re being at home and you’re being away and then you go on the road again. Miami, Detroit, Knicks, Brooklyn, Philly, Atlanta, a sixgame road trip where you’re virtually on the road for two straight weeks. Now, there’s obviously going to be some home stands with that, too, man. But with a young team, I don’t know if that bodess well for them going back to back to back to different uh uh uh states on the East Coast and expecting them to be the same each and every night. I I’ll even go as far as to say like I I know, you know, we like hot takes around here. Like I I do believe that that January 13th through 23rd stretch, 10 days, however many games that is look like seven or something. Um that that’s crazy. I think that stretch will define the season. Like they they they come out of that that is about the halfway point. Halfway point is always like MLK day, right? So yeah, they come out of that and we’ll know do they have enough before the trade deadline, which is that early February mark coming up on that. Um and then people forget like All-Star break. there’s only like a like 20 games left after the all-star break. So, we’ll know if the Suns are a playing contender or if they’re not uh after that January 23rd game against Atlanta. Perfect segue to what I wanted to talk about. What do you think they are? I mean, one of the things I really like about you, man, is yeah, you know, you like the Suns, all that stuff. You do great stuff with the Mercury, too, but you’re very like I am a bit narrative with some I like what Colin Coward calls his manalytics. I like using it when it makes sense. I’m not like you and and Brendan where you guys carry around a calculator everywhere you guys go and you know double knot your shoes and make sure you’re being I like to take a swing every now and then in life. People know how much I love Brendan. I’m more I’m more so taking a shot at you. Where do you think the Suns are going to be now that the schedule’s out? We know where people are going to be. We know how they’re going to start. We know how they’re going to finish. Where do you expect them to kind of be at the All-Star break? Oh, at the All-Star break or I thought we were talking about season win totals. Let’s do let’s do let’s do let’s do the season as a whole because it doesn’t really matter in the all-star break kind of know exactly what they are but the season as a whole I think unless there’s teams that we’re not thinking of that that somehow plummet right like I’m just spitballing this is not going to happen but like say the Warriors just have a disaster and they become one of the teams that you are better than for some reason right like just teams like that Memphis which I don’t know what they’re I don’t know what Memphis is expected to be that’s like the biggest question mark in the entire What is Memphis, right? What is Jaw? Um I I think and if everything plays how it’s supposed to right now and just holds firm, I think the Suns are just slightly worse than last year. Like I I don’t think I don’t think that they’re this like, you know, you listen to these national podcasts, these audiences, you know, ESPN in particular, like, oh man, they’re they’re going to be one of the teams that just has no expectation and and book can score 30 a game. I don’t see that. I see them probably winning 35 36 games, but being just a worse team overall because they don’t have Durant out there to save them on certain possessions because they might not be as good defensively in minutes that Jaylen Green plays, which we’ll talk about that. But like I I I don’t I I don’t really see them being this like, you know, 29 31 team that that is going absolutely nowhere or that or that has no hope, right? I think they’ll have hope until the last couple weeks, if that makes sense. Yeah, man. Me and John Voya talked about this the other day, and it’s kind of interesting. Do I expect the Suns to be better than they were last year? Actually, I do because I think they’re deeper. I think defensively they’re a little bit better. Not much. I don’t think they’re, you know, going to roll out the Bad Boys Pistons. Um, and I just also like some of the some of the I think Ryan Dunn’s going to be a better player this I think Oso Egodo is going to be better player next year. Just because they were here last year doesn’t mean those young guys aren’t going to be better. But like it’s hard, man. This this it’s hard to win games in the West. Yeah, man. The six the seven seed, let’s just say the seven seed, forget the six seed was 48 and 34. The And people turned as like, “Oh, you’re being negative.” No. Do I expect the Suns to be, if I’m doing my math correctly, 12 games better next year? That I think would be a lunacy take. But can I see them being three games better and m and being the 10 seed and then uh uh uh you know being the 10 seed and Deon Booker goes nuclear for two games and you make the playoffs and you give the one seed which is probably the Oklahoma City Thunder more fits than they’re willing to deal with. And when I say that I mean five games, six games max. I think that’s what the expectation for be for this team, man. I mean you’re very analytically driven. You look at the game through a different lens than I do. Is that kind of the way you’re seeing it too or do you think like 10 seed that that’s even a little far-fetched? No, I don’t think and that’s the thing. I don’t think anything’s farfetched unless you were to come in here and say they’re going 48 games and be the 2014 Suns that snuck in with no expectations, right? Or that almost snuck in without Yeah, I was going to say they didn’t even sneak in. They didn’t sneak in. They would have been the third seed in the East that year, by the way. But anyways, the Eastern That was the worst Eastern Conference ever. Um I so I think that the offense is going to be dynamite. I think that they’re going to be so I think they were under bud maybe 10th or ninth in half court offense this past year. They might have climbed to eighth just in terms of like half court, right? But um because they didn’t run and gun as much as they said they were going to, you know. I think I think they’ll be faster this year. Um I I but I think the offense will be closer to what Jordan not envisions right early on because I think they’re going to shoot a lot I I think he has a non-negotiable like we are going to shoot more threes but we’re going to do we’re not going to just come up and jack threes like we’re going to make it make sense as as I like to say make it make sense offensively. Um, but what scares me is like do I expect Booker to play 75 80 game? Like no. It it just doesn’t happen like that anymore. Like he like especially with as much like he takes a lot of contested mid-rangers. He likes to drive a lot. He is this team’s best passer, best driver. Mhm. That is going to come with just knock on wood, but in inevitably speaking like ankle rolls, like just things that you can’t anticipate. And I don’t think, right, I don’t think that this team, even though you you you said and you were right that they are deeper than last year, like just in terms of viable players that can survive on a possession basis. Yeah. I I don’t think they can survive against your random Wednesday night matchup in the Western Conference with that Deon Booker. So, um, I I kind of factored that in as well, but I agree. They’re they’re high-end. They can be one of the five best offenses in the or in the league and that can carry them to some clutch time wins, right? They they can look like that 2021 Suns team where they can they they can win games in the clutch because their offense is so electric. I I just worry about the other side of the ball in the first year of Jordan Knot. That that’s important. like first year Jordan not and and and new personnel like they have probably the low one of the lowest retention rates like in the league or in the West like I I I don’t like that. I like a team like like you know OKC and the in the in Houston they’re retaining a lot of their guys minus just a couple pieces. Yeah. Uh let’s talk about that offense and defense as well for the Phoenix Suns. Two guys that are going to be really big in that Jaylen Green, Devin Booker. We’ve talked about it a bit on this show, but we got more again different way of the of seeing the game. We’ll have Shane break it down, give us his thoughts on it next. First, today’s show is brought to you by Monarch Money. 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Even the ridiculous things that I’m spending money on that I probably shouldn’t be. So, don’t let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code locked on NBA at monarchmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year. That’s 50% off your first year at monikmoney.com with code locked on NDA. All right, Shane, let’s keep the show rolling. Um, people know how I feel about Jaylen Green. I I’m optimistic and you know, I’ll replay it a little bit for you because I know you’re not a complete everyday. you’re like a semi- dare for the for the Lockdown Suns community. But um I I I I’m I’m buying into Jaylen Green a little bit more than I was at the beginning, but I think a lot of that isopium and a little bit of copium with and you know, just be honest with it because I’m a fan as well of this team. He’s not a great three-point shooter. He’s actually a really inefficient three-point shooter. He’s a little bit of an efficient scorer as a whole. He can get to the basket, but actually finishing at the basket is a little bit of an issue. It feels a little redundant to Devin Booker in terms of deficiencies. Neither guys are great uh uh, you know, defenders. Neither guys are great three-point shooters. Now, not redundant in what they do well offensively because I think better Booker is a better playmaker, jump shooter, pretty much everything offensively, but they have the same deficiencies. I have a feeling you’re going to be a little bit more critical of Jaylen Green than maybe even I am, but maybe you’ll surprise me a little bit. How do you think this back court is going to work? And what is the best version of Jaylen Green and Devin Booker in 2025? I mean, I actually uh I don’t know if Brian Gregor Gregory is listening, but I actually align with you on this because um I in terms of Jaylen Green’s offense, I am more optimistic than I see the the national crowd because I do believe and I’m not someone I think you you know this, I’m not someone that really plays into the whole like narrative and tangible factors of of of sports that much, but I I I do believe that he is he is angry about being traded like out of nowhere like he he does have that chip on his shoulder. He does think that he’s going to come out and showcase and I got that vibe at summer league when his first um media scrum. We were standing right there and and it would just seem like a different Jaylen Green than I’ve seen in in the Houston days and he he seemed very passionate about about teaming up with Book and and playing off of each other. I I think you’re right like that the drives are going to be it’s going to be tough at first, but what I’m looking forward to is I I think they’re going to be kind of rough early on that the team will and then I think Book eventually he’s going to rub off on on Jaylen in terms of patience when you drive, right? Like you don’t have to go rush right into the defenders. You don’t have to try to draw fouls every single time and and flop around. like you don’t you don’t have to just throw the ball away aimlessly. I I think Book is going to help him tremendously in that area for me. So So I I think offensively they do they do mesh well together. Um, I personally really like the idea, Ben, of Jaylen Green and let’s just say the Bradley Bill slot last year where he is catching against a tilted defense when, oh, Booker just drew two. Now I just have to make the right play. I just have to either quick quick quick pass or I’m going to drive. I’m gonna drive against a defender that’s coming at me. Maybe they’re sprinting or maybe they’re not, but I’m going to attack their their off foot and I’m going to get to the basket and make a decision from there. And I think if he can iron out the kinks within the first two months in that realm, I think that’ll be good. What I don’t want to see is him making a lot of the decisions as the point guard, as the whatever you want to call, like the primary decision maker, running 45 ball screens a night. Like I I don’t think I want to see that. Um I I want to see him in the Bradley Bill role, which I think I think he’ll be apt to do, especially being a brand new like he’s like he he was drafted to Houston. That was his kingdom in a sense. like he thought that was his team. I don’t think he believes that here. I I I think that he respects Booker a lot and he’s going to fall in line. Defensively, I don’t I don’t really like this duo. Um it puts a lot of pressure on Book to be what he was in 2021 and 22. And it’s just it’s not realistic if you expect him to carry a 30% usage rate. Guys that carry a 30% usage rate are usually not good defenders unless you’re Giannis Anto. That’s it. Oh. Oh. Oh, so you mean if you’re 610 with a 76 wingspan and cover up the entire painted area? Yeah, you know, I guess that does make sense. Yes. Um, it’s actually more of a positive take than I thought you were going to say, which actually makes me feel a little bit validated for feeling a little bit more optimistic for Jaylen Green. But I think a part of it comes with what are your realistic expectations for the Suns, right? You can’t expect him to come in and be this savior. He’s not. No, dude. Like I it Dude, it drives me insane because it’s the dummies on Twitter that will like post one dunk of Jaylen Green and then not show them against the Golden State Warriors, literally shooting them out of a game. We get the athleticism. It’s where are your expectations as far as defensively, man. I actually feel better about this team defensively this year than I did last year for a few reasons. having Brooks and Dunn on on the court at the same time. I don’t think Brooks like I I’m not I’m I’m not I’m not like crazy about this. I think Brooks is a really willing defender and very strong. I don’t think he’s a better defender than Ryan Dunn even right now, but having both them there is going to help massage some of those issues. Plus, when one guy’s off the court at the time, you can stack the team with a lot of length, a lot of size, and I think that’s going to help those guys. So yes, you know, in late in games, maybe they’re getting picked on a little bit, but it’s kind of the best case scenario for the Suns right now is leave those guys on the court, put Dunn, maybe Fleming is is, you know, that real rejuvenation at a defensive spot. And same with Brooks. I think the worry for me is can Williams step into that next role of being a more than solid, capable defender at least around the rim. Yeah. And that’s a tall ask because like man, he he’s only been in the culture of a team that is not expected to be anything but I’m sorry, a clown show around LA. What are you What are you apologizing for? I’ll call him a clown show and then they’ll have me on Twitter, too. So, which fan base hasn’t at this point? But I think I think it’s going to be an adjustment for Mark Williams. But I but hey, everything you hear I don’t know if you heard that that snippet from Zack Low about how when he was talking to Charles Lee, like Charles Lee would always say like how Mark was the most mature guy in the room for being such a young guy. Like he always had his head on straight uh about his season goals. So, you know, maybe that’s a match made in heaven with with Booker and and the front office right away and the coaching staff, but um there’s just a lot of new PE the more you’re talking about this, the more you bring up Dylan Brooks, who it’s been hard for me to even contextualize him playing next to Booker and playing next to these guys. But I just know that’s a guy you hate. I just know that’s a guy you hate. No, I I wouldn’t say no. No, I don’t hate him. Um, I it’s it’s weird that that the first two months of the season, I’m not kidding, the first two months of the season are going to be experimental. And and I thought, you know, I think the fan base, I’m not going to say they’re sick of that, but like that’s what they were told the last two years was. That’s what they told that’s what they were told it was when Kevin Durant got here, right? Like, oh, we’re going to figure out how to use them. Then the next year it’ll be good. Well, then the next year they had a different coach and they had Bradley Bill. Then the next year they had a different coach and they had a different supporting cast. So then they had Titus Jones. That was the problem. I think they’re just they’re just sick and tired of this and and I don’t and I don’t really blame them, but that is what the first two months are going to be. Let’s wrap up the show talking about some intriguing Suns lineups. You credit where credit’s due. I saw this on PHNX about a couple weeks ago and I was like, you know what? I love stealing good ideas. I’ll just give him some credit. Something our boy Evan Cider doesn’t do. who knew I was going to drop his name at least once on the show. Uh, let’s talk about some interesting Suns lineups. And let’s do it next. Not stealing reports, but stealing ideas on this show. PHX had this idea of just obscure Suns lineups. We know what the starting lineup is going to be. Jaylen Green, Devin Booker, uh Dylan Brooks, likely Ryan Dunn, and Mark Williams. Shake up the lineup at least a little bit for me. Give me an intriguing lineup that you’re like, I would think about starting this depending on how the season goes. I I’ll let you I’ll let you take it however you want to take it. However you want to take it, because because I didn’t I have a lineup that’s highlighted right here, but it’s not it’s certainly not a starting lineup. That’s for sure. If it is, if it is, I won’t be allowed in the city again. Then, okay, listen. Let’s keep it as that then. Let’s just keep it obscured. The the last segment. It’s always the shortest. It’s always the most fun. This is where Brendan would usually reach through the screen and want to beat me upside the head for something crazy. I said, “What is a uh so give me give me your obscure most intriguing Suns lineup that isn’t the starting lineup.” We’ll phrase. Yeah. And I don’t And I don’t know if it’s an obscure. It it is heavily dependent on Ryan Dunn being a true blue 37% shooter from three. If he is, this lineup will work. I like, you know, me. What What do What do you think I know? What do you think I like more than anything in basketball? Shooting. Love it. Like, give me Booker running things as the decision maker. Give me Grayson Allen if he’s on this roster right next to him. Give me Ryan Dunn and then give me as a playmaking, you know, Draymond Greenhub. Give me Oso. Okay. Especially if he especially if he’s a capable scorer on the draw on on the role, right? And then give me Mark, give me Mark Williams as a defensive anchor. Uh, you know, a good they need a good screener with that lineup. So, you have good pick and roll coverage. you have shooting there to space the floor. No one, despite what you think about Grayson Allen, people, I don’t know how you felt about him, but people um Grayson, he has one of the best gravitational factors in the league. You are not leaving him. If you are, you’re going to you’re going to regret it. So Devin, Grayson, Ryan, Oso, Mark Williams as just a go out there and play eight to 10 minutes and uh cause some havoc. Yeah. So I there this was interesting. So this idea was also kind of sparked from last year where I called it the death lineup which was really just the death of us which was Royce O’Neal which was because the Sun season didn’t go well last year. I like Royce and Osel’s spot on my lineup too as well but go ahead. Yeah. So it was so this was last year and it was this was my death lineup which looking back on it is so stupid but Booker Beal KD and Roy and uh Royce O’Neal and Ryan Dunn. It was Oh, okay. It was some small ball, but we had a little bit of we had a little bit of shooting everywhere. And I believe that Royce O’Neal is not a plus defender. He’s not a negative defender. He’s literally just a defender. Ryan Dunn is a plus defender, and I think Kevin Durant was a plus defender. That didn’t work out because the Suns were small and people couldn’t stay healthy for multiple reasons. But you went with a more like scoring look. I wouldn’t necessarily say shooting, but you did put it with the caveat of if if Dunn can shoot the ball effectively. So, and if he’s not, just scrap it. I think that’s what Jordan Nod has has I do not envy him because like he at his disposal he has a lot of um guys that we don’t know if they can shoot and we don’t know if they can if they can produce and you know I hate to say this but that despite him being a veteran so long the juryy’s still out on if you can put Dylan Brooks in there and and guys will stick to him. He shot a careerhigh last year, but does that last two seasons? To be fair, last two seasons, but to be fair, he also shot like 25%. The reason why they kicked him out of Memphis is because he wasn’t stopped jacking up threes and shooting them out of games. So, it is it will be interesting to know which Dylan we’re going to get. I think it’s going to be somewhere in the middle. There’s no way you shoot 40% two straight years and then fall back into 25% me shooting from three at the wreck. But can he shoot can he shoot 36% from three? Here here’s here’s the difference between you between you and I. And it’s just like a it’s why I like bring people like I think are just kind of opposite for me on the show because you know I think you know I can be a little crazy because I don’t believe in the Suns ability to shoot the ball this year. I think they’re going to have to suffocate teams defensively. Okay. So I went with and it’s obscure, right? And I think there is an argument to be made in the middle of the season, depending on what the record is. You start this and see what you can get. Booker at the one because I just think Booker right now is better and I think you would agree with this. I’m not saying he’s an awesome point guard. I also think it’s positionless basketball. Oh. Oh, I will. I am. Oh, I think I I think I I think he is Forget what I’m saying. Forget what I’m saying. Talk I need to talk on this. No, no, no, no, no. Talk on this. I want to hear the Booker point guard ball handling thing really quickly because I I I didn’t know you were so So I’ll I’ll do a quick t I’ll a quick thing then you tell me what you your line was. Yeah. What irritates me Ben Oh, I could write about this. I probably should. It it irritates me that we’ve somehow just I mean the fan base in particular have just washed away the fact that in 2020, 2021, 2022 and a lot of 2023 as well, was that four years Booker was incredible. He supreme at making decisions. Like there would be there would be pick and roll possessions that this dude is making plays that that you would say guys with the IQ of Kobe and and name your best scoring guard like they would would never make those and even like you know obviously he’s not quick like Steve Nash but but you could see the blueprint like he would draw two and immediately look to the corner or uh dive man whatever right he had options so I don’t know why you know I would say one down year personally I would say one down year as a decision maker turn the ball over more often, right? Um I Why does that wash away what he can do? It’s not like he’s 37, he’s 29, 28. Like there I I I think that we should trust the thousands of reps that we’ve seen and trust that a new coaching staff will bring that back. I hope you’re uh ready to go viral on Twitter tomorrow because I am breaking that out to piss off everyone else. That is so anti-deon Booker at the point guard position. I will get to my starting lineup in a second. But like forget about all the things you just said, which by the way, I 100% agree. People are like, “We need a point guard. We need a point guard.” Uh, did you guys did you forget Taius Jones just a a year ago and we all talked about not me, me and Brendon to be fair, we did not say this at all. You all you both were on the right side of history. I think we we we both said like we like Taius but like they’re going to start four guys who are, you know, 68 on on on a team. But it was more than just that. Is Taius going to run the offense? Which he never did offensively as well. They gave the ball to their best players and so Tyus was just a minus out there because he was asked to be a defensive guy and he was a liability from the Clippers. Tyus was a spot-up shooter. If that was the case, they could have just played Grayson. We got to bring Shane Young more often on the show, man. He’s the one clout rejecting me just so we’re being fair. Just kidding. He had other things to do last time. Here is my obscure lineup before we got off on a tangent that I do. Does it include Kobe Bria? Maybe. No, it doesn’t. No, it doesn’t. It’s I’m going straight defense, man, cuz I don’t believe in the offensive firepower of this team. And to be fair, if I would have believed it last year, I would have been wrong. Booker, Brooks, Dunn, Oso, Malawatch, let’s do it. Let’s run the Let’s run the parade. We don’t We don’t want to go on. The The topic is obscure Sun starting lineups. I get that. And here’s my point. Here’s my point. You’re not doing this from day one. Oso I think is going to be a plus defender in this league. I think he showed promises of that. I think part of it was he was a small guy. He’s got to get in the weight room a little bit. Malawatch I think after half a year could get his legs under him and be what I think he can be which I I was very high on Malawatch pre-draft. He was the guy the number one guy I wanted. He fell to them. I think he I think he has the the potential to be a more I’m scared to say this in front of you. a better lateral more side to side player defensively than Rudy Gobear. I think he can be one of the better defensive players in the league, but not have to be when he switched on to a guard, not Kyrie Irving, but just your normal guard in the NBA, he’s not going to get exposed. And so, I’m going more defense there because I’m very skeptical of the shooting of this team. Just so we’re being fair, if both things like if if my dream works out, the defense is better, your dream works out, the shooting is better, your lineup’s better. But I think to fit the identity of the Suns team, tough, physical, hard-nosed, we heard Ishbia talk about that just today, I think that’s I think that’s a fair way to go for the Suns. Don’t No, no. I think everything that you like it was great until until the center. And for me, I I just I I love Kaman. Khan’s awesome. He He’s gonna be a fan favorite like immediately, right? Um it’s just I think he’s way too raw right now. Like right now, like we’re not talking about 2027, you know? I I think for him to start in this league, it it it would be tough. Um but maybe as you’re saying that, you’ve already prefaced it by saying that it’s not what you start out as. You start out with Mark with Mark Williams. But um but I do wonder, you know, with Mark’s injury history, come on, might get the reps, it way sooner than he’s expecting. I think that’s why they kept Nick Richards in the fold, who right, I wouldn’t move at this point because there’s just no point. But like at the trade deadline, we’ll see. And then come on to take another step. But um interesting conversation, man. You know, for a August 14th show, the dead of summer, we are literally in three days a week right now. That’s the quota for Lockdown Podcast Network, which is most part your team every day starting in ne in September. We’re your team, you know, three days a week for one month of the year. We take a little bit of a hiatus. Um, so really good conversation with you today, man. Shane Young, contributor with Forbes. Uh, he actually writes on Forbes and actually contributes there. Go read his stuff, unlike some people. He’s not making up things. He’s dissecting things on Twitter. I think it’s Shane Young MBA on Twitter. Correct. You got young just just young NBA. I’m simple. Just just young young NBA. All right. People call me People call me NBA Young Boy, which I found out was a rapper the other day. So Oh, that’s so funny just knowing you because that’s a terrible nickname. From from uh from Forbes contributor over there, my guy Shane Young, for myself, Benjamin Garcia, for everyone in the chat watching the show, we appreciate you guys. and I will talk to you on Sunday for a John Voida Monday.

The Phoenix Suns’ 2023-2024 schedule is out, and it’s a doozy. What does it mean for their playoff chances?

Benjamin Garcia and NBA analyst Shane Young break down the Suns’ new schedule, including a brutal January stretch that could make or break their season. They dive into win predictions, analyze the potential of the Jalen Green-Devin Booker backcourt, and explore intriguing lineup possibilities. Will the Suns’ offense shine bright enough to overcome defensive concerns?

Tune in for expert insights on how the Suns might navigate their challenging schedule and whether they have the firepower to compete in the tough Western Conference.

0:00 Intro: Suns schedule release
5:12 Analyzing the Suns’ road-heavy early schedule
8:56 Predicting the Suns’ win total this season
14:34 Evaluating the Jalen Green and Devin Booker pairing
20:51 Defensive outlook for the Suns this year
25:39 Discussing intriguing potential Suns lineups
31:58 Debate over Devin Booker as point guard

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