The latest Phoenix Suns preseason game didn’t feature a fully healthy roster yet again, but for the third straight time, coach Frank Vogel was given lot to think about in terms of his rotation.
Preseason is all about exploring different lineup combinations as guys fight for playing time, and that’s especially true for a roster that’s basically brand-new outside of four or five players.
Despite Bradley Beal sitting out with lower back tightness, Grayson Allen and Josh Okogie resting and Drew Eubanks missing the game due to a left ankle sprain, the Suns showed a lot of encouraging signs in Thursday’s 122-111 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The big storyline was Deandre Ayton and Jusuf Nurkic facing their former teams for the first time, but in addition to that big man matchup, there were a few useful observations to take away from the third Suns preseason game.
The full merit and impact of a trade can’t be determined by twenty-some minutes of preseason action. But Nurkic’s best performance so far with the Suns sure came at an admittedly convenient moment, against his former team and the guy Phoenix traded for him.
More importantly, there were more glimpses of why the Suns valued Nurk and his specific skill-set, especially in regards to his fit with the Big 3.