Newly appointed head coach Frank Vogel expressed confidence in the defensive capabilities of the Suns as they aim for championship contention.
During a recent interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Vogel acknowledged that the team possesses more offensive talent than defensive prowess, but highlighted the potential impact of Deandre Ayton in anchoring their defense.
Vogel emphasized Ayton’s role as the defensive anchor and emphasized the importance of having a dominant presence in the paint. With Ayton patrolling the rim, Vogel believes the Suns’ perimeter players will be more aggressive, knowing they have a shot-blocking and rebounding force behind them.
While acknowledging the offensive firepower of the Suns, Vogel believes that a strong defensive performance can complement their scoring ability and elevate the team’s overall play. With Ayton playing at his best and the entire team actively engaged on defense, Vogel believes the Suns have the potential to be strong on both ends of the court.
“I think we do,” Vogel said when asked if the Suns have a good enough defense to compete for a title. “We’re definitely more offensively talented than defensively talented on this team. There’s no doubt about that.
“But if the big fella [Deandre Ayton] plays this year the way I think he can play and really anchors our defense, I think we can have guys really scrambling around the perimeter, flying around and competing on the basketball, knowing that they got that giant behind them ready to block shots, rebound and get us out on the break. I think we got a good chance to be strong on both sides of the ball.”
