“The Phoenix Suns proved in the opening game that they are a new team”

PHOENIX – After a lackluster 53-minute run featuring excessive physicality, sloppy – even unforced – errors and a dramatic finish, the Phoenix Suns are officially 1-1 for the third consecutive year after a 116-113 overtime victory over Los Angeles. 0 launched hair clippers.

The Suns had a slow start to the game, which was due to good looks that only resulted in missed shots – before they took off about halfway through the second quarter.

At halftime, it seemed like the Suns had found their rhythm and were cruising toward a win. They had only attempted two shots in the mid-range game and were extremely efficient behind the arc, but also placed emphasis on more color contact.

Tyronn Lue – as well as James Harden – were both instrumental in the Clippers' upset, which left the Suns trailing 98-90 with just over 4 minutes to play – after leading 47-39 after 24 minutes.

In the interim, many of this game's problems became even more apparent. Lue simply knows his squad better than Mike Budenholzer currently does.

The turnover problem that plagued the team last season reared its ugly head in the second half – three of the key ballplayers, Jusuf Nurkic, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, combined for 15 turnovers.

Booker was often passive until the end of the game, before a few untimely fouls forced him out of the game before the OT frame. Rebounding was a real problem, as Phoenix gave up a total of 51 rebounds – including 13 on the offensive side of the ball – to the Clippers.

One could argue that freshman Oso Ighodaro was the most consistent rebounder for Phoenix in his paltry 12 minutes.

Despite all the concerns, there were also big positives to come from the win.

First and foremost, Bradley Beal turned in a clutch performance that reminded fans across the league that he still has quality players in the tank after mostly becoming an afterthought during the offseason.

Sophomore Sun doubled his shot attempts, scoring 24 points on 12 looks from the field while also contributing on defense, recording a steal and block each.

This is the Beal that coach Budenholzer likes to use in late game situations.

Secondly, the additions of Monte Morris and Tyus Jones made a noticeable impact when the two were in action. Neither lost a single ball and rather acted as a stabilizer to an offense that had to work hard against a tactical master like Lue.

Although Jones only managed 1 out of 5 from three, he performed at a high quality level and one can assume that there will be progress towards the mean.

After all, this is a game in which last year's team simply wouldn't have had the courage to defend themselves.

Aside from the surprising 22-point comeback against the Sacramento Kings in January, there have been few occasions where Callas have found momentum and comeback efforts have been made.

Durant and Beal taking over the game without Booker was proof that the top talent can lead this team when needed – and that they can bolster the role players around them.

This team has a different mindset under Budenholzer. This team has more experienced veterans who are willing to do whatever is asked of them. This team is already significantly better connected, even though there is only one example game to work with. The increase in athleticism was clearly visible during the stretching exercises.

The old adage “first impressions only have one chance” has great resonance as the Suns head straight to another test against the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow night.

While they didn't leave a particularly convincing performance that would lead fans to believe that an elite brand of Suns hoops would be ever-present over the course of 82 games, they showed just enough to give those same fans hope that maybe – just maybe – this season will be different.

And hope is all some people need.

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