![]() “We didn’t get that deep into playoff preparation, but we got a little more detailed,” Anthony Davis said after Monday’s practice. The Lakers’ purple and gold in-season tournament court will make one final appearance this season, with the design of the NBA Cup – one of the prizes for winning the tournament – once again at center court, serving as a reminder of what the teams are playing for.īecause it’s still a regular-season game in the early portion of an 82-game schedule – 83 for those who advance to the tournament title game – the time for playoff-like preparation isn’t there. It’s one of just two NBA games scheduled for Tuesday, with the Milwaukee Bucks-New York Knicks quarterfinal game tipping off 2½ hours before Lakers-Suns. It will be a star-studded matchup, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis set to be available for the Lakers and Kevin Durant and Devin Booker expected to be available for the Suns. The ceiling for Bol Bol is so much higher than some of the players getting time ahead of him that it would make sense for Frank Vogel to at least get a look in real action and make sure he’s not missing out on a potential impact player for a team with championship aspirations.EL SEGUNDO - In some ways, there’s going to be a playoff-like feel to the Lakers’ In-Season Tournament quarterfinal game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. Can his shot selection be reformed? Can he focus primarily on protecting the rim and rebounding? Bol Bol is in his 5th year now, and this might be his last real shot at reforming his game and making good on some of the promise that made him such a highly touted prospect. While Eubanks is solid and more along the lines of what Vogel is looking for from his bigs, it would be fascinating to see Bol get a chance to play next to superstars and a properly spaced floor. But in a second group in small stretches, Bol Bol could give the Suns a talent infusion that’s needed given all the limited role players that are getting minutes right now.īol Bol has only played seven minutes all season, as Phoenix has gone with Drew Eubanks as the primary backup 5. Bol’s shot selection is shaky, and it’s unclear if Phoenix’s veterans would be thrilled seeing him take possessions on all for himself. Might it be a waste of time for Vogel to invest minutes in a player he doesn’t want to rely on in the postseason? Maybe. Phoenix should be willing to ride out the ups and downs with Bol because he’s a matchup nightmare and provides a completely different element than the rest of Phoenix’s bigs. ![]() ![]() ![]() Still, Bol should be given a shot in the rotation at some point during the season to see if can provide a spark, as Phoenix’s second unit lacks scoring pop and Bol goes through stretches where he looks incredible. He started 33 games for Orlando last year, and while his three-point percentage left something to be desired at 26.5 percent, he made an impact defensively with his length and mobility.īol Bol is known mostly for his ballhandling ability and knack for scoring at his insane size (7-foot-3) and length, which might not be something Frank Vogel is craving off his bench. Still, though, Bol Bol is just 24 and the second youngest player on Phoenix’s roster. There has to be a reason why he hasn’t been able to hold down a regular rotation spot, and playing for multiple different coaches who all came to the same conclusion is troubling. We’ve been down the road before with Bol Bol, both in Denver and Orlando. The Suns should give more minutes to Bol Bol While the Suns wait for their new “Big 3” to get back on the court together, Vogel should turn over a few stones and see if he can find a higher upside role player than some of the players currently in his rotation. The Suns are currently a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of record and net rating, but getting Beal back in the fold should provide a big boost. While the chemistry is still going to take time to develop, there’s no question that Phoenix is not a team you want to see in the postseason if you’re in the Western Conference.įrank Vogel has his work cut out for him to build the Suns into a dominant defensive team given his personnel, but we’ve seen him do it in the past both with the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers. With Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and eventually Bradley Beal once he returns from injury, the Suns feature a core of stars that is going to be extremely difficult to contend with. The Phoenix Suns are one of a handful of teams that are in “championship or bust” mode.
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