Selecting Mitchell this past offseason surely had something to do with that. They had a 116.5 defensive rating last year, the worst in the league and the highest in NBA.com’s database that goes back to 1997. I gotta make sure he don’t get behind me with pick-and-rolls with him and Fox.”ĭefense has been the problem for Sacramento. His size, he can finish around the rim, above the rim, he has a nice floater, nice touch around the rim and he sets screens and gets out of them early. “Dude’s a fast big, super nimble on his feet - I don’t even like calling him a big. “Richaun has so much to his game,” Ayton said Tuesday. Holmes returns to Phoenix where he was teammates with Deandre Ayton in Ayton’s rookie year. Of Barnes’ 12 assisted 3s to open the season, nine of those have been dished to him by Haliburton, Fox or Mitchell.Īnd where it starts to get fun is when that kickout is to one of those three guards who knows what to do with it. More dribble penetration is going to open more things up for shooters like Barnes and Hield as the team gets used to the ball movement that comes after a drive-and-kick scenario. Williams described that young duo as versatile, complimenting Haliburton on his combination of pick-and-roll play with catch-and-shoot skills while Mitchell can score and defend. The Kings picked guards Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell back-to-back drafts in the tail-end of the lottery, burdening the load placed on Fox as the offense’s primary initiator. “He’s so doggone strong, that if you go for the pump fake, he can get to the basket and finish,” Williams said of the threat Barnes poses.īarnes is clearly benefitting from more ball-handlers. Suns G Cameron Payne out Saturday against Trail Blazers Williams said he’s seen Barnes knocking down more triples off the bounce. “He’s been their best offensive weapon so far this year.”īarnes is 26-of-52 (50.0%) from the field and 15-for-27 (55.6%) on 3s, which adds up to taking nine long balls a night. “He’s just playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said Tuesday. Shooting guard Buddy Hield is one of the NBA’s premier shooters and Suns fans know what center Richaun Holmes is capable of as a diver and active body around the rim.Īnd then there’s forward Harrison Barnes, who is off to a torrid start through three games, posting 28.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is coming off a season average of 25.2 points per game, a blur with the ball who has started rounding out his all-around offensive game. Phoenix center Deandre Ayton mentioned transition defense as the biggest thing the Suns need to improve on that end, and also cited the league-high 43% teams are shooting against them from deep. It also will have them pushing the Suns’ defense where it has struggled.
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