The Spurs are on fire right now and, ironically, find themselves matched up with the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. Keeping the theme of fire, the Silver and Black are coming off their most impressive win of the season with a 107-101 victory over the Miami Heat. It’s going to take more than a fire extinguisher to cool off the Spurs.
Headlined by a ferocious start to the season by their lead man Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs have powered themselves to a franchise record-setting start of 5-0. The MVP candidate will look to keep the ball rolling as he finds himself matched up with a struggling Suns squad.
With Victor Wembanyama on the court, the Spurs are even at 2-2 against the Suns; however, the big man has consistently struggled to score. The Suns have notoriously held the superhero’s powers in check, holding him below 20 points in three of the four matchups.
The Spurs must take advantage of porous Phoenix defense
History aside, this is a smash spot opportunity that the Spurs must take advantage of. The Suns currently rank 21st in defensive net rating and have seen their defensive infrastructure fall apart in recent years.
In particular, the Suns have made sweeping changes to their center room, bringing in former Charlotte Hornet Mark Williams and rookie Khaman Maluach. However, the thing that the Suns’ latest starting center lacks is a defensive identity. Although the big man can pile up the points, he has struggled to defend at a high level. Now, he will have to face one of the best offensive centers in the game.
Outside of the Suns’ one true enforcer, newcomer Dillon Brooks, the Suns don’t present much of a challenge for offenses, and Brooks isn’t even playing. The matchup will be an excellent chance for players such as Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Keldon Johnson to continue their hot starts offensively.
Stephon Castle will have a tall defensive task waiting for him
Perhaps the biggest matchup of the night will feature a duel between two electric guards: Stephon Castle and Devin Booker. The former All-NBA member presents the most difficult assignment that Castle has taken on so far this season.
Booker is coming off a season-high 36 points against the Utah Jazz and will attempt to keep the momentum riding high. However, much like Castle hasn’t seen a player like Booker, the same could be said for the All-Star. Castle is creeping up the ranks as a premier defensive guard and will prove his worth Sunday night.
If Castle and the Spurs can neutralize Devin Booker, they should have a relatively easy route to victory. Yet to see the debut of Jalen Green in an orange and purple jersey, the Suns are heavily relying on the veteran to will them to success. Without him, they are frankly lost.
Despite the ease of the matchup, the Spurs can’t get ahead of themselves. In an absolute gauntlet of a conference, the Spurs can’t let up. The pedal needs to be on the metal for all 82 games. Plus, wouldn’t it be nice to flex as one of the last remaining undefeated teams in the NBA?
