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The Suns were hit hard before the Christmas game, Booker responded to Gordon's request for more shots On December 25, Beijing time, the Suns had their last practice at home in preparation for the Christmas game with the Mavericks.
However, they received unfavorable news, with three players absent due to injury or affairs, while veteran Gordon expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's attacking system in front of the media.
Booker, the core of the Suns, responded to Gordon's words in an interview and talked about the team's state and the strength of the opponent.
Suns coach Vogel released the team's latest injury report to reporters after practice.
He revealed that Suns point guard Beal (ankle injury), center Nurkic (personal affairs) and backup guard Damion Lee (knee injury) will not be available for the Christmas game.
In addition, the situation of small forward Okogie (hip injury) and power forward Gordon (hip injury) is uncertain, but there is a good chance that they will play.
"It's a big blow for us, we've lost some important players," Vogel said.
Beal is our scoring champion, Nurkic is our interior pillar and Damion Lee is our bench firepower.
We have to find a way to fill their voids with other players.
Vogel also said that Nurkic is temporarily away from the team due to family reasons and that he will return to the Suns on Wednesday.
As for Beal, Vogel said he has done some restorative moves in training but is not fully recovered, and he hopes Beal will be back soon, but will not risk putting him on the court.
Vogel also spoke highly of tomorrow's opponents, the Mavericks, especially their star Doncic.
"Doncic is a very special player, and his shooting ability is one of the best I've ever seen," Vogel said.
He can shoot from any position, from any angle, in any position, in any situation, and he has a high shooting percentage.
He's a very difficult player to defend and we have to limit him in all directions and not give him any easy chances.
Suns veteran Gordon expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's offensive system in a post-practice interview.
"I'm here to win, not to sit in the corner and watch people shoot," Gordon said.
I feel like I deserve more shots and I have the ability to help the team score.
In the last game against the Kings, I only took two shots, which was unreasonable.
I hope the coach can give me more trust and get involved more in the attack.
Gordon also said that he thinks the Suns' offense is too monotonous and dependent on individual ability, lacking team coordination and variety.
"We need more players to attack, more passing and running, more tactical changes," he said.
We can't always have Booker or Durant single, it's easy to be targeted.
We want to make our opponents scared of our attack, not make it easy for them to defend us.
Booker, the core of the Suns, responded to Gordon's words in an interview.
Booker said: "I don't think Gordon is targeting me or Durant, he's just expressing his thoughts.
He's an experienced player, he's played in the league for many years, and he's earned everyone's respect.
He has the right to speak his mind and the ability to contribute.
Booker also spoke about the team's recent form, saying: "We know we don't have a good record, we've only won three of our last 11 games, and that's disappointing for us.
But we didn't give up, we tried to learn Xi in every game, Xi from wins and Xi from defeats.
We've improved on some of the details, we just need to combine them to form a whole.
Booker also expressed his appreciation for tomorrow's opponent Doncic, saying, "Doncic is an all-around player who doesn't have any weaknesses on the offensive end.
He can score, he can assist, he can rebound, he can lead.
He's a very difficult player to play against and we have to be very vigilant against him and not make him feel comfortable.
The Suns will host the Mavericks at 11:30 a.m. CST on December 26.
It's a Christmas battle and a pivotal one.
Will the Suns be able to find their groove at home and end the slump? and whether Booker and Durant can lead the team out of the woods and beat Doncic and the Mavericks?
Vogel: My communication with owner Ishbia has been fruitful We need to find a consistent rotation The Suns suffered a heavy loss in the playoffs last season, losing 4-2 to the Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals and missing out on the Finals.
This upset the team's owner, Matt Ishbia, who decided to fire head coach Monty Williams and find a new leader.
After some careful scrutiny and interviews, Ishbia finally selected former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel to offer him a five-year, $31 million contract1.
Vogel is an experienced and champion coach who has led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals twice and the Lakers to a championship in 2020.
In an interview with this reporter, Vogel said that he is excited to join the Suns, and his communication with owner Ishbia has been fruitful, and they share the same vision and goals for the team.
"I'm grateful to Mr. Ishbia for giving me this opportunity, he's a very visionary and ambitious owner who has high expectations for the Suns," Vogel said, "and we had a great chemistry during the interview, and we both want the Suns to be a team that can compete for championships, and we both think the Suns have that potential and talent."
Vogel is referring to the Suns' Big Three: Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
All three stars are among the top scorers in the league, and their combination gives the Suns unmatched offensive firepower.
But Vogel also knows that to win a championship, the Big Three alone is not enough, he also needs to build a reasonable rotation that will allow the team to improve on the defensive end and bench depth.
"We have very good players who can score for us at any time, but we also need to have a balanced team, we need a team that can put pressure on the defensive end, we need a team that can continue to be competitive while our stars are resting," Vogel said.
Vogel said he has started studying the Suns' roster and believes the Suns have some valuable role players who can play in different positions.
He singled out center Nurkic, forward Grayson Allen and guard Eric Gordon, all of whom were new signings that the Suns acquired in the offseason through trades or free agency.
"Nurkic is a very well-rounded center, he can score on the inside, he can pass the ball, he has a good defense, he can work well with our Big Three," Vogel said, "Allen is a very good shooter, he can give us space on the outside, he is very aggressive defensively, he can play multiple positions, he is a very useful player.
"Gordon is a very experienced player, he's played a lot of big games with the Rockets and Nuggets, he can impact us on both ends, he can play point guard, he can play shooting guard, he's a very aggressive player," Vogel said.
Vogel also said that he also has confidence in some of the Suns' young players, who he believes have a lot of room for improvement, and that he will give them enough opportunities and guidance to grow into better players.
He specifically mentioned guard Ty Jerome, forward Josh Okogie and center Jalen Smith, all of whom were selected by the Suns in the draft for nearly two years.
"Jerome is a very smart player, he has a good ball handling and passing ability, he has a consistent shot, he can play a playmaker role in our system," Vogel said, "Okogie is a very talented player, he has great physicality and defensive awareness, he can defend multiple positions, his offense is improving, he can be a great defensive weapon for us.
"Smith is a very promising player, he has great height and reach, he can score on the inside and outside, he has a dynamic defense, he can rotate with Nurkic and give us a different style," Vogel said.
Vogel said he is looking forward to meeting the Suns players for the start of training camp for the new season, and he believes he can lead the Suns to the next level and achieve their championship dreams.
"I have a lot of confidence in this team, I feel like we're very competitive, we've got good chemistry, we're going to have a lot of morale," Vogel said, "and I'm going to do everything I can to make this team play at the best level, make our fans proud, keep our owners happy and make our opponents fearful."
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