Inside the Suns: “Tall ball,” Devin Booker, and Jusuf Nurkic

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Introducing “Inside the Suns,” your weekly in-depth examination of the Phoenix Suns roster.

The Fantable, a group of Bright Siders, discusses the Suns’ most recent problems and news every week.

Imaginative Questions of the Week
Note from the Author: All queries were sent to the Fantable users before to Tuesday night’s Suns vs. Bucks game.

Q1: In the Washington game, a frontline consisting of KD, Bol, and Nurk was visible for a brief period of time. How do you feel about playing all three together, particularly with Beal and Book in the backcourt?

GuarGuar: I believe that using this defensive lineup in spurts could be risky. That is an incredibly lengthy roster, and I can see its potential potency. Bol has surprised me pleasantly so far this season, and I’m hoping he can keep up his strong play.

OldAz: Against the Bucks, we witnessed even more of it, with KD and Bol on the floor and Nurk and Eubanks at center. All year long, I have been requesting lineups that shift KD to the 3 and significantly increase.

the Suns lineups’ size. I adore these because the lengthy arms allow for superior rebounding and defensive rotations.

I adore these because the lengthy arms allow for superior rebounding and defensive rotations. With Nurk, they have three large-framed scoring threats, and since there are two of Book, Beal, Gordon, or Allen on the court, you can be certain that the other two guards are as dangerous.

Since Metu has length and has demonstrated some shooting ability, I hope they would do this more often and either add a bigger wing at the deadline/buyout market or just give him more playing time. The few instances in which the KD/Beal minutes have appeared decent with Book off the field (such as opening the fourth quarter against the Bucks) seem to me to have involved a more expansive lineup surrounding them.

Brrrberry: Seeing the three seven-footers with Book and Beal made me very happy! I expressed my desire to see that lineup before to the season beginning, and there are several reasons why I hope to see more of it. primarily for the games and situations where we die on the glass. A few have passed away.

games this year against teams who we should have easily defeated because they outplayed us in terms of ball rebounding, and throughout most of those contests, I had the unsettling impression that “this is going to cost us the game.”

It seems like in most games where we get blown out on the boards, it’s something that lasts the entire game and allows the other team shooting with much less efficiency to stay in the game. Therefore, I’d like to see Vogel use that lineup when it’s evident early on that the other team is getting too many extra shot attempts/possessions in the hopes they can turn the tide.

Rod: Although Bol might not be quite ready for prime time (starting/heavy rotation minutes), I think this lineup gives this team an entirely different perspective. I believe you might adore tall-ball if you detest small-ball. three 7-foot players that can all rebound, block shots, and shoot at the same time on the court could be a great strategy for the Suns to defeat weaker teams and make things difficult for larger teams when they play them.

I believe you might adore tall-ball if you detest small-ball. When the Suns play bigger teams, having three 7-footers on the floor at once that can all rebound, block shots, and shoot may be very beneficial. It can also make things difficult for lesser teams. He is demonstrating his worth and eagerness to study. I believe that KD has taken him under his wing, and that’s probably for the best (at least in terms of his NBA career).

Q2: How do you currently feel about Jusuf Nurkic’s “fit” on the team?

GuarGuar: In my opinion, Nurkic fits in really well on offensive and mediocrely well on defense. However, his capacity to pass out of the short roll when one of Book/KD/Beal gets double teamed is unmatched. He’s a truly great facilitator for his size and he’s a phenomenal fit on offense.

OldAz: Given how it was discussed during the transaction, this almost turned into a joke. I believe that many saw it simply as a sign that he was a big player who could hold down the fort against centers like Jokic, and that his contract was half that of DAs. It turns out that Nurk has been crucial to the team’s performance, proving that this idea of “fit” is serious business.

Nurk is a major contributor to the offense’s success, as evidenced in answer to question 1, which is also the reason I do not agree with those who are yelling for a point guard. He provides superb facilitation and ball movement. He stays silent and lets them play more scoring.

With an injury problem (Suns fan PTSD), we’re all waiting for the other shoe to drop, but hopefully this is what a committed Nurkic, playing for a strong team, looks like for the whole of the season and a deep postseason run.

Brrrberry: At this moment, Nurkic is among my all-time favorite Suns players. He’s largely stopped hosting 3s, which is a good thing in my opinion because he’s not shooting well at all. He is shooting 57.3% from two point field goals, which is a career best. If he keeps shunning the three ball, I wouldn’t be shocked if it rises to almost 60% before the season is out. His teammates clearly adore him, and he’s completely selfless.

about doing what it takes to win games for the team, metrics be damned. Since joining the league, he has reclaimed the ball at his second-highest rate per minute and assisted the ball at his greatest rate.

He’s a large part of the reason I think this squad is still a sleeping monster at this stage. With Beal back in the lineup, we’ve played 19 games and he’s looking as good as any team in the NBA. We actually got lucky to have both Nurkic and Allen before the season started, and they have been the perfect match.

Rod: Initially, I was hesitant to switch DA for Nurk, but he has unquestionably disproved all of my earlier worries. He would be as near to a perfect fit as I could wish for if he were just a little bit quicker on his feet and a little more springy in his leap.

He’s one thing I adore observing.

hesitating to bring the ball downcourt himself at times when some defensive pressure is being put on others.

Rod: Initially, I was hesitant to switch DA for Nurk, but he has unquestionably disproved all of my earlier worries. He would be as near to a perfect fit as I could wish for if he were just a little bit quicker on his feet and a little more springy in his leap.

One thing I really like about him is that even when other players are under defensive pressure, he never hesitates to drive the ball downcourt himself. He can occasionally be used as a point center thanks to his and his passing abilities. He moves with the ball far more skillfully than I anticipated, and I no longer feel uncomfortable when I watch DA dribble.