PHOENIX – Man, did the Phoenix Suns season flip round rapidly.
Such is life when two star gamers, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, each missed quite a few video games as a result of damage early within the 2024-25 season. What was as soon as a 9-2 begin for the Suns has now collapsed to a present 9-7 report.
Devin Booker has struggled at instances with out his co-stars whereas the solid hasn’t been capable of fill larger footwear underneath freshman director Mike Budenholzer.
“There’ll at all times be a number of performs the place you get annoyed, however you understand the band is nice. I believe total, the aggressive spirit, the issues that we have relied on, regardless that we will at all times be higher, we’ve a aggressive group. We’ve got a bunch that’s going to remain collectively, these are the issues we discuss,” Budenholzer mentioned after Phoenix’s fifth straight loss.
“Dropping is hard, this league is hard, so we’ve to battle. We’ve got to battle our means by way of this, however regardless that there are issues we’ve to work on and enhance, the competitiveness of our group has been in place after we have been successful, I’d nonetheless say the identical factor proper now, after we are struggling, that the blokes know the way vital the competitors is.
Issues simply aren’t going to go as deliberate for the Suns proper now, and Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes says Phoenix has essentially the most purple flags of any high staff.
“This is not a lot an entire insecurity within the Phoenix Suns as it’s an assertion that, of the groups with the very best early outcomes, they’re those with essentially the most purple flags.” » wrote Hughes.
“Begin with a destructive level differential that signifies the Suns ought to have greater than seven wins, not 9, by way of their first 15 video games. As you would possibly count on, Phoenix’s terrific play within the clutch has loads to do along with his success within the standings The Suns are 7-2 in clutch video games and a internet ranking of plus-14.2 over the ultimate 5 minutes when the rating is inside 5 factors. bear in mind how statistics clutch may be unstable and unsustainable, be aware that these identical The Suns posted a minus-5.5 internet ranking within the clutch and have been one of many worst fourth quarter groups within the league a yr in the past. .
“Kevin Durant regarded like a top-five MVP candidate and led the league in minutes per sport till he suffered a calf pressure, and Phoenix is outscored by 4.7 factors per 100 possessions when ‘he is off the court docket. Any staff that wants its 36-year celebrity to get such large minute totals is extra fragile than it appears.
“Phoenix ought to nonetheless be thought-about a playoff risk, however they will not keep among the many Western elite for lengthy.”
We’re nonetheless fairly early within the season, so it is laborious to move judgment on the Suns, particularly contemplating how sturdy they have been when all gamers have been wholesome.
Nevertheless, it was a significant component that stored the staff from being wholesome final yr. It felt like Phoenix’s core gamers by no means obtained sufficient enjoying time collectively through the common season, and their premature exit within the playoffs proved that to be true to some extent.
The common season continues to be younger, though we have seen wildly completely different sides of what this Suns staff can turn out to be.
