Phoenix Suns show incredible defensive strength in quick start

After finishing 17th in defensive efficiency last year and missing the playoffs to a small degree, the Suns brought in veterans like Chris Paul and Jae Crowder to help Phoenix reach the playoffs for for the first time in a decade.

So far, so good.

The Suns are a sizzling 6-2 after a 123-115 home win against rival Toronto / Tampa Raptors, they are 10th in defensive rankings and first in scoring defense. Signed in the offseason to a three-year, $ 29 million contract, Crowder considered the key ingredients of a strong defensive club: Watching a lot of movies, communicating with your players off the court and putting these principles apply in court.

“When you look at the best defense in our league, the court is not just one. It’s a team defense, “Crowder said after Wednesday’s shooting. “You have to play the strings.”

When the Suns want starting center DeAndre Ayton to be up on screen, he needs to trust that the assist side defense is going to be behind him, Crowder said. And it feels like that just improves over time.

Crowder, who had 21 points and three rebounds against Toronto, said the team’s best defensive effort was a 106-95 win on New Year’s Eve in Utah. He made a change that morning at shooting time and put it on that night.

“It paid off a lot for us,” Crowder said, adding that the Jazz are a good offensive team that moves the ball well and plays well with rhythm. That was a good offensive team, too, that moved the ball well and plays well with rhythm. “We tried to break their rhythm from the jump. Doing so showed that we can put in a game plan and talk through a game plan and we can use it. That’s how you gain the trust of your teachers and staff. “