What do you perceive when you look at the above photo of Bol Bol when he plays for the Phoenix Suns? Joy. Exaltation. And then relief as well. The 24-year-old feels as like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. We are all the better for it because Bol didn’t have a standout performance for a league challenger until much into his sixth season in the league.
We cannot claim that the big man hasn’t been targeted by this. Bol has been playing like a player who is at ease in his role with the Suns lately, despite an ankle ailment that derailed some momentum that was starting to build in the run-up to Christmas. Having the legendary Kevin Durant as a mentor must boost his self-assurance.
However, not many could have anticipated what happened on Friday night, when Bol scorched for 25 points and an even more noteworthy 14 rebounds in a Houston Rockets defeat.
Without a doubt, the Suns needed to win this game, but they failed to do so. The Rockets posed a challenge for the Suns following their disappointing defeat to the formidable Dallas Mavericks upon returning from the All-Star break. The Suns needed a replacement player because Bradley Beal is still sidelined with a hamstring injury that, according to head coach Frank Vogel, shouldn’t keep him out for too long.
Out of all the players off the bench, he managed the most with 27, even surpassing the 19 minutes that new addition Thaddeus Young played. Bol has a remote chance of seeing any action once the playoffs start because Coach Vogel was also down to a nine-man rotation. He does it by being an offensive matchup nightmare, as he was against the Rockets.
Which is exactly what Bol did, despite the hugely impressive Alperen Sengun lining up on the other side for the Rockets. His 25 points equalling Devin Booker’s and trailing only Durant’s 28, while he knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in helping his side stay in the game To go 11-of-17 from the field was also huge for his team, and Bol was a constant threat offensively.
Although the 14 rebounds sounds impressive – and when it comes to Bol it certainly is – it still masks the fact Bol is not a good defensive player. But the thought process has always been that if he could just grab more boards than the terrible 3.7 he has managed for his career so far given his gigantic frame, that that would justify him seeing the court more than he had in the past.
Along with grabbing those previously mentioned rebounds, Bol’s ability to modify certain shots, particularly those that are made farther away from the basket, helps him to become less of the defensive liability that he has been for far too long in this league. Everywhere he travels, Bol is incredibly well-liked, and in addition to the crowd being thrilled with what they witnessed, Durant also shared his thoughts about his teammate;
“I’m just so happy for him; I wish we could have helped him win and celebrated in the locker room after such a significant victory.” Although he has had significant games in the past, this one stood out because he came off the bench and made shots that allowed us to stay in the game. A few and-ones managed to survive, he was amazing for us. That he’s getting more playing time and seeing some success makes me very happy.”
– Kevin Durant
These kinds of performances and finishing on the winning side at the end of the game will be the next phase in his development. Although Bol may have had a tremendous game, it wasn’t enough to improve his
As Durant correctly said after the game, he just needs more run in order to keep getting better. Durant was also right to point out that Bol never tries to do too much, and always gives his all on the boards and the defensive end as well. This was a night where it all worked out for him, and if he continues to have performances like this, coach Vogel will have to play him more minutes.
