As of the morning of April 1st, the Phoenix Suns sit in the 8th seed in the Western Conference, eyeing a play-in game against either the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors, or the surging Houston Rockets. It’s not the situation anyone expected, but a litany of injuries and inconsistent play have the team in a precarious spot. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, as the team’s fate is still not decided
Reason For Hope #1 – Out of the hottest fire comes the strongest steel
OK, it’s a cheap proverb, but it makes a lot of sense for the team. The final eight games of the season see the Suns play the Pelicans (2x), the Timberwolves (2x), the Clippers (2x), the Cavaliers and the Kings. What do those teams have in common? They’d all make the playoffs if they started today. The final stretch for the Suns isn’t an opportunity to get rusty, rather it’s a playoff dress rehearsal. If the Suns can get through this stretch and actually improve their playoff seeding, that will be a huge confidence boost heading into the grind of the NBA playoffs.
Reason For Concern #1 – 4th quarter woes loom larger in the playoffs
The playoffs tend to be a much more focused, possession-based affair, especially as it gets late in the game. The Suns created their roster with this in mind, after all. They’ve got a three-headed offensive juggernaut in Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, which doesn’t allow for standard double teams and shading, unless you want to give up open looks to some of the best scorers in the league. The problem is, it hasn’t worked out that way this season. The Suns are 4-21 when trailing heading into the 4th quarter, and they are outscored 28-25 on average in the final frame.
Reason For Hope #2 – The Suns will almost always have two of the best three players on the court
When the lights shine brightest, the best players in the league take over. Sure, you’re going to have role players make a big shot here or there, they’ll make the right swing pass and they’ll play their role defensively, but the last four NBA Finals MVP’s were Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The best players make the difference come playoff time. Looking at the Western Conference, you can argue that each team has an elite player that belongs at the top of any best player lists, but two of them? Outside the Los Angeles Clippers (sorry Jamal Murray), there’s not a team that can match the Suns 1-2 punch.
Reason For Concern #2 – Inconsistency carries more weight in a series
The Suns have been a Jekyll and Hyde team all season, turning from world-beaters into patsies over the span of a week. Look at the most recent results for proof — they lost to the San Antonio Spurs without Victor Wembanyama, then beat the Denver Nuggets (2nd-best home team in the NBA) on the road, then got absolutely housed by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Once the playoffs hit, the margin of error shrinks considerably. A single bad performance swings the series, especially when you’re likely to be without home-court advantage.
