3-21-24 Phoenix Suns Media Availability: Frank Vogel and Devin Booker

3-21-24 Phoenix Suns Media Availability: Frank Vogel and Devin Booker

Those yeah best probably best bench performance of the season um I we’ve had some other really good ones but uh can’t tip my cap to those guys enough uh they get the game ball collectively in my opinion I would say Bradley Beal um and the way he’s he was controlling the game

For a lot of those stretches where he was needed but um e Royce bowl and Drew Drew especially when nerk went down um I get hit in the head uh uh Drew played some great basketball during that stretch um and then the start of the fourth you know Bradley Beal and ner

Controlling the action but e Royce um you know and B making big plays on both sides of the ball really separating the game um to you know just a terrific performance by all those bench guys any test no I didn’t get an update he didn’t do the con concussion protocol

Or anything like that bch at this point kind of solidify gets and everything at this point you know for a long time in and out do you think the rotation is fairly close to set at this point close you know we were still looking at at

Some things and you know the levels of of those guys but I like bow and uh Eric and and Royce in there you know on the perimeter um you we’ll see where Josh kogi fits into it when he gets back healthy uh and then I like what what

Drew is doing right there so I mean we still got to figure out you know a few more things in terms of the levels of with which uh each of those guys is playing and and the the exact rotation and if we get into the playoffs do we go

Down to eight or seven you know if needed um but those things will play it play play themselves out get a lot of minutes A lot of the time starting is when you might have these big nights what do you think is the key for him to keep this type of

Rhythm going in a smaller role or just you know knowing that that’s probably spot the team moving the ball honestly like we don’t run a lot of plays for for Eric uh but when we’re playing in the open court he gets free when when uh we’re bringing two to the basketball

Which we saw a lot with how the the Hawks were guarding tonight when we’re bringing two to the basketball and we get the other team in rotations the ball finds him a lot um you know he’s had a few games where he hasn’t really touched

It much or you know when he when he does touch it it’s you know um you know less of a rotation based type type of thing but you know when the ball finds him uh you know he’s a just a fantastic backside Punisher coach Roy last three games have just

Seemed to kind of caught more of a rhythm what have you seen with that just kind of stay in patient after some inconsistency been on fire Royce uh what his exact numbers for the last last three games are but you know something like something in the high 60 70% from

Three range uh shooting the heck out of it and um just playing overall Great Floor game he had some great plays in the pocket today uh a little floater little dump off um you know he’s just a winning player and uh when he’s making threes the way

He’s making them the last couple games just really strengthens what we do De jante Bu 29 Points on 26 shots he’s been on a roll the last couple of weeks what was the key to making that tonight yeah we did everything we could to uh to have

Our bigs up and not let him get downhill um gave up some backside threes early as a result of it but you know we want to try to take him out of the game as best we can and um you know he’s playing as well as anybody in the NBA right now so

Credit uh Again Bradley Beal not only for his nine assists um not to jump jump all over the place but but Brad’s really sacrificing for the betterment of this team you know what I mean and I think it’s it’s worth pointing out uh him playing point guard him touching the

Paint as much as he’s he’s touching the paint not always looking for a took seven seven Shots tonight okay and he he was arguably our most dominant offensive player um creating things for others got got book a bunch of Threes got c a bunch of Threes got a role players a bunch of

Threes nine assists total and um you know was a plus 17 overall and he guarded Deon maray primarily right so he did it back toback nights Maxi last night deante tonight um can’t speak highly is um can’t speak highly enough about uh the job that Bradley be’s doing right

Now trust in the past you know our guys we keep talking to our guys we going to be a team first team to reach our potential and um you know and bringing to to the ball and being three-point line aggressive like we want to get up a

High volume of Threes we’ve had several games the last couple weeks where we got out outscored at the three-point line by 30 points tonight we outscored our opponent by 30 points made 10 more threes in our opponent you know so um got to keep keep our guys uh playing for

One another uh and letting the pass connect okay we just got to De with a few less turn few less turnovers ER about attempts couple games ago and he was saying the ball’s gota be moving fast first the first part he said he said the ball has to be moving fast

Eric Gordon to get off that number threes how key is that for tonight if you sense that or see that quick ball movement that led to threes or was it more in transition no we we moving the ball yeah 05 mindset and um you know every game is

Different you know you play against a switching team the ball’s you know then you got got to have your Terminators go and kill you know um but this team tonight was bringing two to the ball and all the fiveman action so some nights it’s easier than others but uh yeah get

The ball moving quickly and get it around the horn and open up the three-point line turn some of those we just got to stay looking to unforce ones remember our guys are really looking to extra pass the basketball which is how we we want

To play which is who we want to be um we just got to do it with with more care with you bench there is that with me no I was just trying to get a flagrant to just to help our team I told him that’s again I know he didn’t mean

It I mean it was just a basketball play um I’ll talk to him afterwards you guys are 12 games 500 not good enough yeah it is positive yeah um but we got to keep keep climbing you know we want to finish in the top six and um the competition is fierce

Some great teams in the Western Conference so you know it seemed like everybody in League’s been on a win streak I know Sacramento and Pelicans lost tonight but um everybody’s been winning and we got to keep pace and uh you know just keep moving up the ladder

Outside of what you were able to get from Eric on the court what does it do for you as a coach to have another veteran voice kind of echo your own ctim V leaders are are so valuable to uh to Championship runs you know their experience throughout their careers and

Their Vibe on things ER Eric’s got just such a great demeanor about him you know like nothing phases him uh he’s seen a bunch he knows he’s got a a purity about his experience level like he knows what good basketball is and what bad basketball is and um you know how to

Play Team first ball and you know his uh His official title on our team is a senior advisor right he’s not one of our captains but he’s part of our leadership committee and um he’s been great with that regard what you think your guys performance yeah strong fourth you

Mentioned a little bit earlier but Brad and NK you know playing in the in the passing cut game was really good and then the role players knocking down big threes and defended right they they really I think it was 165 run to start the quarter and um you know that set us

Off for a great night we have a strong fourth quarter tonight you know you can get something you know at the bench is good and you know they were extrem today Drew played unbelievable when when ner got hit EG Roy I mean all the way down the line um

You know it’s just more of what we we expect out of our group you know with the talent we have top to bottom matter I think you know overall especially these last two games the ball’s been hopping and you know it’s just been great energy um you know the the more

Passes the more swings that we get you know the better energy and better shots we get cutting down on some of those turn uh I would say uh shoot more especially in the in the paint um you know avoid those those passes in the paint those B low bounds passes

Um yeah I just say you know be more aggressive look to score the ball much more dangerous to make you guys when EG’s pulling up in transition and being impressive like that uh yeah it’s unguardable I mean I’ve been on the other side of it it’s tough to deal with

Um when you think you’re close enough you’re not um when you think he’s too far out and he won’t shoot it he will so so you know you always have to be on your toes and you know he still has that speed to go right by you and get a layup

Too so it’s a tough coverage you know it’s a three-point heavy league and it’s hard to contest that shot without getting up under a shooter I know that’s been a point of emphasis in terms of contesting those shots how do you feel you guys have done in the last two games

Um like the ones they’ve been getting files on yeah I mean like after the Bucks game I know Vogal said it was a point of emphasis and then it feels like you guys have been a lot more aggressive contesting lately yeah you know you just have to

You know get guys off the line and you know avoid their Landing space but guys are good they jump forward on their shots a bit um so it’s tough but like you said you know there’s a lot of guys that are just living and dying by the three so you

Know once you run them off the line it’s something that they’re not used to De it’s been the last couple games in foul trouble for you what’s what’s going on with that you uh I mean I’ve been fing so you would so you would say was

Stly on on you with that except for that last one that that one the one we challenged it wasn’t a foul um I mean whenever I do like a just a light grab or something that I think is you know not enough to be a foul because I feel

It most of the game being done to me and it gets called immediately I mean it’s still a fou it’s just the the consistency of calling it on both things I watch people wrestle Kevin Durant all night um and then one little grab or hold is called immediately you guys

Started P it up think just keep playing you know understanding that you know there’s four quarters to a game and you know a lot of us have been in plenty of situations especially with the modern NBA and understanding no lead is you know Out Of Reach especially with the Firepower we

Have over here so you know I don’t think anybody on our team was startled their phase you know we just regrouped and continued playing and it worked out well for us you obviously have your own relationship with the game of basketball but when you see your teammate Eric

Gordon still going with this game after 15 years it’s it’s inspiring or encouraging to you there’s inspiration all around me um I mean we have th on the team now I mean I grew up playing against eg10 Allstars I’ve played against team Thad you know I’ve played

Against Bradley Bill Elite so you know these guys are embedded in the game um obviously it being a new addition his love for the game is on Match so you know there’s just complete inspiration around all of us every day and you know I feel it de and Coach challenged you guys

After last night’s win to play more together how do you think you guys answer the call and moving forward down this final stretch what do you want to see yourself and this team do moving forward just win games um you know still continue to have fun with it and like

You know like coach said just continue to play together and you know tonight was an example of that of you know that’s might be how the playoffs is a game a team comes out hot you know I think the more you can keep your head and stay together and just continue

Playing uh I feel like we have the talent to do really special things you have any thoughts on the RO uh I do not I do not that games 500 and for the first time this season you guys have reached 11 over 500 twice would you say consider

That to be progression at this point in season or you still struggle basically trying to get to a crack towards pass that six spot um I mean it’s just kind of hard to keep up with it all you know it’s been years of that and you know you

Start looking at other teams who they’re playing in their matchups and you know I just learned to focus on ourselves and you know whoever we get you know we’re gonna we obviously want to avoid the playin but if the playin happens then you know we play so just control the

Controllables keep working on ourselves keep getting better and you know I think we’ll be in pretty good shape thanks

Head Coach Frank Vogel and Devin Booker speak to the media following the Phoenix Suns win on March 21, 2024.

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