Can The Phoenix Big-Three Earn First Win Together For The Suns?

The Phoenix Suns might be 13-11 on the season. However, on Wednesday, for the first time this season, the Suns started their big three between Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.

All three NBA players will likely be in the starting lineup for their next game against the New York Knicks.

With that big three, the Suns still lost to the Nets last time out, 116-112. Bradley Beal only scored 14 points and took nine shot attempts in 34 minutes. That’s not ideal for a superstar.

It just proves that the Suns still need to figure out their roles with the new-look lineup.

Will that benefit the Knicks on Friday night?

Oddsmakers don’t think so. With the Suns at home, Phoenix is a -5 (-115) favorite, with the total sitting at 230.5.

Check out our full Knicks vs Suns preview for this late NBA matchup on ESPN.

Knicks vs Suns Preview

The Knicks are just 11-10-2 against the spread this season. However, New York has lost seven of their last ten games against the spread, including its previous matchup against the Jazz. The Knicks were six-point favorites against the Jazz on the road but lost outright by four.

Meanwhile, the Over has hit in six straight games for the Knicks. That’s pushed the Over to shoot in 13 of 23 games this season.

On the other hand, the Suns have lost six of their last seven games against the spread. They’re now 10-13-1 against the spread but have hit the Over in 15 of 24 matchups.

The Suns are 5-7 at home, but the Knicks are 6-7 on the road this season. However, the Suns have beaten the Knicks in nine of their last ten games against New York dating back to 2019.

Mitchell Robinson Needs Ankle Surgery

The Knicks were getting solid center play out of Mitchell Robinson this season. While he scored only 6.2 points per game, Robinson still hauled 10.3 rebounds and shot 59.2% from the floor.

He was also a prolific shot-blocker and earned many steals throughout the beginning of the season.

However, he injured his ankle last week and requires ankle surgery. The timetable for his return is at least two months and potentially even more than that.

Therefore, the Knicks signed former Knicks forward Taj Gibson to a one-year deal. They’ll also have Jericho Sims and Isaiah Hartenstein available to fill in for Robinson’s void.

Does Bradley Beal Fit In With The Suns?

The Phoenix Suns went all out for Bradley Beal. The Suns traded Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and multiple pick swaps to bring in a former all-star in Beal.

However, Beal has played in five games this season. In those five games, he’s added only 16.4 points with four rebounds and 3.6 assists. He’s also averaged just 43.3% from the field in those five games.

On top of that, in the five games that Beal has played, the Suns are 2-3 and have a losing record when he’s on the floor.

Against the Nets, with Durant and Booker on the court with Beal, Beal took only nine shots and barely made an impact for Phoenix. That’s not why the Suns brought in Beal. They hoped he’d be a healthy and consistent scorer who could fill the NBA box score alongside Durant and Booker.

While the sample size is small, Beal might not be an excellent fit for the Suns.

New York’s Struggling On The Road

The New York Knicks began the season playing very well. However, over the last couple of weeks, the Knicks have lost some games they probably should’ve won.

The Knicks just lost their most recent showdown against the Jazz, 117-113, as six-point favorites. That was their third straight loss on the road.

It’s also never easy for an East Coast team to play on the West Coast for an extended period of time. The Knicks already lost in Utah and now have to play Phoenix.

New York has scored 117.9 points per 100 possessions. That’s good for ninth in the NBA. But that’s solely due to the number of second chances the Knicks have earned. New York has earned 33.7% of offensive rebounds this season. However, this number could drop drastically without Mitchell Robinson in the next couple of weeks.

The Knicks are typically strong with the ball and won’t turn the ball over often. However, the Knicks have also shot a 53.3% effective field goal percentage, which isn’t very good. That’s why the second-chance points were so crucial. But now, it’s unlikely the Knicks can sustain that rebounding percentage offensively.

On the other hand, the Suns have more talent offensively now. They played their first game with Beal, Durant, and Booker in the starting lineup. That chemistry will only start to grow from here. Of course, the Suns would love to get Beal more looks, especially after he went 6-for-9 from the field against the Nets.

Phoenix has also had success on the offensive glass. However, the Knicks have been better at limiting offensive rebounds this NBA season. The Suns will also see the foul line more often. However, the Knicks are still very good at keeping the fouls down.

New York will end up with more turnovers earned. However, the Suns will end up with better looks from the floor.

Many NBA predictions had the Phoenix Suns standings at the top. They’ll figure things out eventually. The loss to the Nets was likely a wake-up call. After looking through the NBA odds at home, with some adjustments, we’ll back the Suns against the spread at -5 in our Knicks vs Suns preview.

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