The Phoenix Suns will try to squeeze out their first two-game winning streak at the expense of the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. And from the looks of it, the odds are in their favor. Nonetheless, here are our Suns predictions head of their game against the Pelicans.
Phoenix Suns Predictions Vs. Pelicans
1. Suns will win
First things first, the Phoenix Suns will win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Suns, despite their slow start so far, are simply the better team on paper. The Suns have the experience and the chemistry that the Pelicans still do not possess. The Pelicans are young and are still in the rebuilding stage, not to mention Zion Williamson is still out recovering from foot surgery. That leaves Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, and Devonte' Graham as their primary scoring threats. That's still a handful but it's much less tedious without Williamson around.
In addition, the Pelicans don't have a legitimate stopper who can contain Devin Booker (more on him later). As Suns fans know, Booker is one of the most lethal scorers out there. And since Chris Paul joined the fray, it's been much easier for Booker to get to his spots and score.
2. It will mark the second of a possible three-game winning streak
Some Suns fans might be preparing to push the panic button given the Suns' 2-3 start. While they held their own against the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers squad, they also got beat by weaker teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers and the Sacramento Kings. While the fans' concerns are understandable, it's just too early to start playing the blame game. Besides, a look at the Suns' schedule reveals they could just squeeze out a mini winning streak. After locking a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, another victory over the Pelicans is very possible. After which, they'll face the young Houston Rockets squad which is a much weaker team.
This streak might end once they face Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. But they have a chance to go on a streak again as they'll face the Kings, Trail Blazers after. Whatever the case may be, the Suns have plenty of opportunities to put up a string of victories throughout the course of the season. This will be more than enough to develop a strong momentum.
3. Another 45-50 percent shooting night for Devin Booker
Fans were a bit worried when Booker opened up the brand new season with a horrendous 20.0 percent shooting night against the Denver Nuggets. This is one of the main issues of his young career though it's a given that players — even the greats — have a bad night or two from time to time. Fans would've appreciated it if Booker started out hot off the bat.
Booker cast their worries aside as in the next games, he shot between 40-45 percent — his usual numbers. Against a weaker Pelicans defense, Booker will likely shoot anywhere between 45-50 percent. His midrange jumpers will be cash money all night long. He'll also get to the hole, draw fouls, and probably score anywhere between 25-30 points.
4. A 20-point night for Mikal Bridges
So far, Mikal Bridges is averaging 15.2 points per game which is a career-high. Head coach Monty Williams made it known that he wants Bridges to become a legitimate scoring option for the Suns this season. He's been delivering so far and has a 21-point game in the bag. With this in mind, we should expect Bridges to squeeze out a productive offensive night once in a while. The Pelicans' rather weak defensive stance is a good opportunity for Bridges to drop at least 20.
Nonetheless, do you agree or not with our Suns predictions?
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