What we learned from Phoenix Suns' loss to Grizzlies, losing ...

Show Caption

Hide Caption

Suns lose to Grizzlies, 117-112. Can Phoenix flip it in 2025?

The Phoenix Suns lost to the Memphis Grizzlies, 117-112, in the last game of 2024, and would not make the playoffs right now. Can they flip it in 2025?

Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said before Tuesday’s game against Memphis he doesn’t remember much about previous seasons, let alone the number of injuries in each one.

At this rate, it’s going to be hard for him to forget the number of guys who wound up sidelined and in the training room this season.

Devin Booker returned from a sore left groin that sidelined him for five games, but Bradley Beal went down with a left hip contusion and didn’t play the final three quarters of Phoenix’s 117-112 loss to the Grizzlies before a sellout crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Center.

The Suns (15-17) remain under .500 and 11th in the West.

The Grizzlies (23-11) were without star guard Ja Morant (shoulder), but they got a combined 69 points out of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane to lead them past the Suns.

Kevin Durant scored a team-high 29 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists, Tyus Jones went for 21 points and Booker added 16 points on a rusty 4-of-20 shooting and nine assists in his return.

Here are takeaways from the New Year’s Eve loss. The Suns next hit the road, starting Saturday at Indiana.

Jackson Jr., Bane exploit Suns' defense

The Suns felt they could build off solid defensive efforts in their last three games.

Then Jackson Jr. cooked them for 19 of his game-high 38 points in the first quarter as he took it to Suns rookie Oso Ighodaro. The Grizzlies started the game shooting 83.3% from the field.

Phoenix trailed 69-55 at the half.

The Suns dug in defensively in the second half, but had no answers for Bane, who finished with 31 points. Bane is hard enough to stop with a team’s best defender.

That’s why Josh Okogie started out guarding him, but all Memphis did was screen Okogie to get the switch for a more favorable matchup on, say, Monte Morris and Bane went to work.

If the Suns had multiple top-end defenders, no problems switching. The Suns don’t have that luxury that an Oklahoma City or Boston does.

So while teams switch like they’re programmed to do so, the Suns can’t afford to do that.

Durant off the ball

Yes, Kevin Durant is arguably the purest scorer ever created.

You want the ball in his hands, but he also can catch a case of the turnovers. Durant had eight in Saturday’s loss at Golden State.

The Suns started Tuesday’s game with Durant moving off the ball, getting it in scoring positions to either catch-and-shoot or two-dribble drive or pull up.

This can work for him because he’s such an efficient scorer, but again, who wouldn’t want the ball in his hands? The Suns can still do that, but less can be more for him.

They have two point guards in Jones and Morris who have doctorate degrees in assist-to-turnover ratio. Jones finished with five turnovers to just two assists Tuesday. Uncharacteristic for him, but he and Morris can initiate offense more along with Booker and have Durant finish plays.

Plus, he’ll be fresher down the stretch of games to get a bucket or a key rebound or block. Durant can still facilitate, but the Suns need him to score more than pass.

A way to ensure that is to have him play off the ball more where he can catch the ball in position to score. After the game, Durant said he needs to do more. The same can be said for everyone else.

Rookie learning on the fly

Ighodaro talked before the season about being able to check guards.

He once again found out this is the NBA, not college, when Luke Kennard took him outside, danced with the ball and went right by him for the layup.

Ighodaro has the feet and IQ to guard on the perimeter, but like anything else, experience is the best teacher. The more he’s in those situations, the better he’ll be as this season progresses.

With so many guys out, the Suns are counting on rookie Ryan Dunn and Ighodaro to play, but make plays, whether it’s passing the ball out of a double and making good decisions.

Sometimes they make a great play like Dunn finding Josh Okogie for 3 in the first half on a cross-court pass through the defense. Sometimes they turn the ball over, but again, experience is the best teacher.

Injuries continue to pile up for Suns

Return two, lose two.

The Suns got Bol Bol and Booker back after each missed five games with injuries, but Grayson Allen was unable to go after being listed as probable and Beal went out with a left hip contusion suffered in the first quarter.

Allen has cleared concussion protocol that sidelined him four games, but Budenholzer said pregame the shooting guard had shoulder issues coming out of Monday’s 5-on-5 action in practice.

Then Beal appeared to suffer the injury when fouled by Jackson Jr. with 4:40 left in the first quarter as he fell, but he played the entire first quarter. Budenholzer thought it may have initially started on the first play of the game when Beal took a fall and that it tightened up once he checked out of the game.

Beal didn’t come back into the game after checking out at the end of the first.

The Suns are going to be without Royce O’Neale for the three-game road trip with a left ankle sprain as he’s due for a re-evaluation in 10 days, the Suns announced Tuesday.

O’Neale badly sprained his ankle late in the first half of Saturday’s loss at Golden State, didn’t play in the second half and left Chase Arena in a walking boot. Based on the timetable, O’Neale will likely miss the Jan. 9 home game against Atlanta before his scheduled re-evaluation.

The Suns play Jan. 11 against Utah and Jan. 12 versus Charlotte at home. O’Neale could be back by then.

They’ll get Jusuf Nurkic back before then as he served the second of a three-game suspension without pay Tuesday for his involvement in an “on-court” altercation with Dallas Mavericks forwards Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington Jr. in last week’s home loss.

The Suns keep saying no one is going to feel sorry for their injury situation, but there’s also the narrative that they’ll be fine once they're healthy and whole.

 At this point, that may be wishful thinking when considering the injury history of Durant, Booker and Beal along with how other players are going down as well.

Unless the Suns figure out a central style of play regardless of who plays like the Grizzlies have or can adjust better without guys, they’re going to fall way short of their championship aspirations.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.