TMJF: Suns 120, Wolves 110

Stat Line: 19 minutes, 4-9 FG, 1-2 3FG, 2-2 FT, 11 pts, 2 rebs, 4 assts, 2 stls, 2 TOs.

Sunday night brought quite a few firsts in young Jonny Flynn's three-game career:

The first time he's played against a truly great NBA point guard. With apologies to the New Jersey Nets' Devin Harris, a fine young lead guard in his own right, Phoenix's Steve Nash is the first great point guard Flynn's lined up against. The two-time MVP took advantage of the rookie early, drawing two quick fouls and sending Flynn to the bench. To Flynn's credit, he didn't back down from Nash, nor did he try to prove too much.

The first time he's played the Suns, or a team like them. Playing an up-tempo opponent like Phoenix can be a trap for young point guards, particularly those who may feel a bit, ah, fettered by their team's offense. As I've mentioned before, the Triangle doesn't make the best use of Flynn's talents, and the wings he plays with are offensively challenged. Flynn is a flashy and freewheeling playmaker, and it has to be difficult for him to play in such a regimented system, especially one where he plays a reduced role. The temptation against a team like Phoenix is to match their style, and while the Wolves want to run this year, they aren't quite cut out for seven seconds or less-style offense. I thought Flynn resisted the siren call of the uptempo pace the Suns set fairly well. I attribute his playing "outside" himself and/or the offense first to his foul trouble, which may have made him anxious to make his mark when he was on the floor, and second to the fact that he played alongside Ramon Sessions for what I believe was the first time all season. I was preparing dinner and not watching all that closely, but it appeared at times that Flynn was in the off-guard role, which really doesn't suit him.

The first time he's sat in crunch time. There was no crunch time against Cleveland, but Flynn led the charge in the wild come-from-behind victory over New Jersey to start the season. Tonight, Sessions got the late minutes. A starter at point guard from the moment he arrived on Syracuse's campus, tonight had to be the first time in a long time that Flynn was benched as his team tried to make a late comeback. Flynn can take some solace in the fact that Al Jefferson sat in favor of Ryan Hollins for much of this stretch, but it has to have him in a weird place, mentally. Already, some are calling for Sessions to get the starter's minutes that are currently gong to Flynn, which I find weird because Sessions has hardly torn it up in his time on the court -- although head coach Kurt Rambis praised Sessions' play Sunday night, which has to mess with Flynn's psyche even further. It will be interesting to see what Flynn's minutes -- and his reaction to them -- are like Monday night against the Clippers in Los Angeles (and yes, RwH will be in attendance).