Can Orlando keep pace with Phoenix? 3 questions entering Friday's Suns-Magic matchup

ORLANDO – The Phoenix Suns saw Minnesota’s twin towers of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns for a second time this season and hit the accelerator button.

“Their eyes got open and they licked their chops,” Suns big Deandre Ayton said about Phoenix's guards. “Two bigs in the game? They licked their chops for sure.”

The Suns ended up running past the Timberwolves, 129-117, Wednesday as perimeter players Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet accounted for 79% of the team's points.

Booker scored a game-high 32 while Bridges (31), Payne (23) and Shamet (16) each posted season highs.

“They had two bigs so we always try our best to push the pace,” Payne said. “And you know when I’m in there, I’m always trying to push the pace.”

Phoenix (8-3) will likely see two bigs to open Friday’s matchup at Orlando with 7-2 Bol Bol and 6-10 Wendell Carter Jr. to go along with 6-10 rookie Paolo Banchero at the three.

The top overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Duke, Banchero is listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain after missing Wednesday’s win over Dallas.

The Magic are 2-4 with Bol, Carter and Banchero starting in the frontcourt. Can they keep up with the Suns?

That’s one of three questions heading into Phoenix’s 5 p.m. game against Orlando (3-9) that can be seen on Bally Sports Arizona.

Can Orlando keep up with Phoenix?

Depends.

Orlando’s size advantage doesn’t end with their frontcourt.

Franz Wagner is a 6-10 shooting guard and Jalen Suggs is 6-5. They started in Orlando’s last game against Dallas.

So that leaves Booker and Bridges having to guard someone 6-10 to start the game and either Chris Paul or Payne defending Suggs.

Paul is listed as questionable with a sore right heel that sidelined him against Minnesota after he suffered the injury in the first half Monday at Philadelphia.

If the Suns get stops, they should be able to run past Orlando, but the Magic can change those plans by doing two things.

One, score, obviously, and two, get the Suns in foul trouble.

This is a young team. The average age of Orlando’s probable starting lineup of Banchero, Wagner, Suggs, Bol and Carter Jr. is 21.2.

Banchero, the most talented one, is just 19.

So this squad isn’t seasoned enough to really exploit its size advantage.

It’s not as if the Suns are pacesetters anyway based on the actual stat. They rank 26th in the league in pace.

Phoenix tries to play faster with Payne, but Suns coach Monty Williams likes to throw passes ahead which leads to transition opportunities for Bridges in particular. That’s a collective strategy the Suns can use regardless of who is playing to help run past Orlando.

Should Chris Paul play Friday night?

Williams talked before Wednesday’s game the Suns were being cautious with Paul and that this was a way to rest him.

“If Chris can go, he’ll go,” Williams added. “We also have to be smart.”

Paul wants to play, but do the Suns really need him to beat Orlando?

Probably not.

So, it might be best to sit Paul again Friday and bring him back Monday at Miami.

That’s three more days for Paul’s heel to get better.

Lastly, how has Dario Saric looked?

Cam Johnson (right meniscus tear) has missed three games with the injury to his knee. He had a procedure done on it Tuesday and is expected to be out for at least a couple of months.

Torrey Craig is starting for Johnson and Saric has found minutes as a backup four.

He’s had some struggles on defense trying to stay in front of smaller, quicker players, but that’s nothing new. His advantage has always been on offense.

Saric stretches the defense with the 3 and then plays bully ball inside against smaller guys, but between missing all last season with the torn ACL and hardly playing to start this season, he’s out of rhythm.

He’s had moments on offense. Knocking down a 3 here, and scoring inside there, but Saric is averaging a career-low 2.8 points a game.

Check back in the month to see where he is.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Can Magic keep up with Suns starting two bigs? The T-Wolves couldn't