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5 Adjustments for Phoenix Suns to Turn Around Playoff Series vs Pelicans

5 Adjustments for Phoenix Suns to Turn Around Playoff Series vs Pelicans

The Phoenix Suns find themselves knotted at two games apiece in this inaugural, best-of-seven playoff series with the well-coached and scrappy New Orleans Pelicans.

The Suns entered this series as heavy favorites. But with the team holding home court advantage in a now best-of-three series even with an injured Devin Booker, you have to take it. With that in mind, Phoenix will want to make these adjustments to end this series a game early.

Chris Paul’s Aggression

The Suns have significantly benefited from Devin Booker’s monster first quarter scoring efforts all year.  In the regular season, he finished second in first quarter scoring, averaging 9.3 points per period on 7.3 attempts.

He kept working as an early ignitor for Phoenix prior to his injury as well. Based on his two opening quarters in these playoffs, he leads in scoring and shots taken from all areas, averaging 13.0 points, 9.5 field goal attempts, and 5.0 3-point attempts per period. He’s doing all this while shooting a crisp 52.6 percent from the field, and 60.0 percent from deep.

It’s audacious, but also doubles as assertive in putting the Suns in the driver’s seat to dictate any game’s pace and direction. However, Paul’s dynamic of dominance is unique from Booker’s—and he’s the one that’s healthy right now.

CP3 often waits until the final period to make a large impact. In the first quarter though, especially in the pick-and-roll, he instead works to feed Phoenix’s ancillary players. He’s currently averaging 2.3 points on 1.8 attempts in opening frames.

Beyond the impact any first quarter assertiveness from Paul would have for the Suns, such efforts would also put the Pelicans in a precarious situation. If Paul applies himself as a pressure point in getting both downhill and to his spots he can wreak havoc, especially in pick-and-roll since Jonas Valanciunas often neglects to creep up.

Early pressure from Paul may force Willie Green’s hand in playing more varying coverages,…

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