If you’ve paid any attention to the Phoenix Suns over the past three seasons, you’ve heard this too many times to count: It’s hard to get a read on this team.
The numbers will tell you that right now, the Suns are a below-average team. They are getting outscored by 1 point per 100 possessions on the season, with the NBA’s 20th-ranked defense and 14th-ranked offense. In a league of 30 teams, that’s not anywhere near good enough.
Even if you try to filter out the injury bug, it’s not a pretty picture. With all three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the court together this season, the Suns are only outscoring teams by 2 points per 100 possessions. Their offense is even worse so far with their Big 3 playing off one another than it was last season when that side of the ball was a big factor in the organization’s decision to fire Frank Vogel.
Add in continued problems at the center position highlighted by Jusuf Nurkic shooting 42 percent from the field, and there’s plenty of negative.
However! The Suns are still 11-8, with multiple statement wins throughout the young season. Add two wins over Dallas and the Lakers each to this weekend’s W over the Dubs, and the resume is looking pretty good for Phoenix.
So where does that leave this team?
That’s the topic of today’s episode. It’s time for a closer look at the defense, lineups and rookies — aka the three areas where I think the Suns can take what worked against Golden State and continue building an identity. Do that, and they can take advantage of a softer mid-December schedule to prove they are a force in the West and maybe even a title contender after all.
