Statement games may be difficult to certify in December, but a statement made after Sunday's Suns win at Washington seems pretty compelling.
"Every time we play with three guards, we manage to close games."
And the guy who made the statement is more relevant than the statement itself.
Goran Dragic offered those words in reference to how he and two other point guard teammates were on the floor at closing time during the Suns' three-game road sweep of the Hornets, Knicks and Wizards.
That included Sunday's 104-92 triumph in which the Suns played the second of a back-to-back challenge. The victory over the now-19-7 Wizards ended the home team's six-game win streak and happened just three games after Phoenix had established a six-game losing streak.
Coach Jeff Hornacek's reliance on having his best players on the floor late in the fourth quarter has trumped the risk of opponent exploitation of a small lineup.
But the key to Sunday's stunning, second-half handling of the Wizards was the focus and energy provided by Dragic and Eric Bledsoe -- embraced on both ends of the floor by all five Suns -- at the start of the second half.
The third quarter began tied at 50, but a team-wide commitment to defensive effort opened up an offense buoyed by 12 points from Dragic.
Isn't it amazing how ball and player movement on offense often coincides with defensive stops? And please note the furious pace set by Bledsoe -- working against former Kentucky teammate John Wall -- certainly appeared to be stimulated by pointed encouragement at halftime.
This pace-setting by Dragic and Bledsoe -- that old, familiar "DragonBlade" alignment -- arrived at a time when another friendly backcourt-minutes takeover from Isaiah Thomas and Gerald Green may have been in the offing. Green, who had eight second-quarter points, appeared on the cusp of another breakout game off the bench.
While the Suns (now 15-14) have scuffled in their attempt to settle into a rhythm that resembles what they managed to generate last season, amateur experts wondered if having Thomas and Green available for big production applies undue pressure to the starting guards.
For an outside opinion on this subject, we consulted an assistant coach employed by another Western Conference team.
"On most teams, there's a kind of a hierarchy of roles and minutes," this coach, who often prepares the scouting report and game plan when his team takes on Phoenix, said. "But in the Suns' situation, you find two really good guards starting and a couple of guys who are really close backing them up, you know?
"I mean, what did Green get against OKC last year, 40?"
Officially, it was 41; and he produced 20 or more points 25 times. Thomas averaged 20 point per game last season as a Sacramento King.
"I think in their situation," our coaching expert continued, "competition for minutes on your own team can go both ways. None of those guys the Suns have are truly great every night, or at least not as often as some of the really elite guys in our league are great. But anyone one of them can kill you on any (given) night. If Jeff needs that kind of carrot sort of thing for playing time to get those guys to maintain their focus at both ends, they can make it work."
Wait for it.
"But only as long as they're winning."
While in New York, Dragic became the focus of a predictable line of questioning in regard to his potential interest in playing for the Knicks.
When this season is over, Dragic -- one of the most approachable, accommodating and humble interview subjects on the NBA landscape -- can opt out of the final year of his current contract and become a free agent.
Based on the current state of Suns' primary ball handling duties, Dragic will be (at least) mildly interrogated on his potential to change teams wherever the local franchise could use a better PG.
Although Dragic continues reminding inquisitors of his affection for the Suns and for Phoenix, no self-respecting agent (and Bill Duffy respects himself) would allow a client to release words of discouragement toward a potential, market-boosting suitor.
By the way, this primary-ball handler stuff inspired us to pose that question to our assistant-coach guy.
"I guess his usage-rate is down or something," the coach said. "But the way Phoenix plays, I still see him having opportunities to create stuff in pick-and-roll after the initial entry pass or in transition.
"I think you just go out and play basketball and not worry about what your spot on the floor is called. Look at it this way ... even though Dragic is guarding taller guys, they should have a harder time beating him off the dribble than a point guard would. And the same guys have a harder time guarding him off the dribble and chasing him around screens. His job would seem easier to me, in some ways."
Speaking of point guards, Rajon Rondo hits town with his new Dallas Mavericks teammates Tuesday night on FOX Sports Arizona. Their showdown with the Suns at US Airways Center follows a recent Phoenix win over the Mavs in Texas.
Rondo had a solid game in his Mavs' debut -- a victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
The Mavericks take on the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night in Dallas.
Through Sunday, the Suns sat in ninth place in the Western Conference, directly behind the New Orleans Pelicans.
