There wasn’t a ton of hope surrounding the Phoenix Suns coming into the season. After the Kevin Durant experiment dramatically failed, even with the addition of Bradley Beal, they needed to go in a different direction. As a result, blowing it up seemed like the best course of action for the franchise.
Moving on from both Beal and Durant, they instead focused on building a quality roster around Devin Booker, the team’s lone superstar. While the results have been better than last season, it doesn’t look like they can become an immediate force in the Western Conference just yet.
Devin Booker Gets Honest About the Suns’ Playoff Push
At 40-32, the Suns are comfortably slotted into the No. 7 seed. And it seems unlikely that their position will change. They have a sizeable lead over the No. 8-seeded Los Angeles Clippers, while being a ways away from the logjam between the Nos. 3-6 seeds.
However, just a couple of weeks ago, the possibility of avoiding the play-in tournament was a very legitimate scenario. At 39-27, they were right in line with the other teams in the Western Conference and had the divisional advantage over the Los Angeles Lakers.
But a recent skid has forced them out of that zone. Rather than rise to the challenge, the team endured a brutal five-game losing streak, including a loss to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks.
MORE: Ex-Suns Star Kevin Johnson ‘Flips the Script’ by Comparing Devin Booker to NBA Legend Jerry West
Thankfully, they snapped that streak with a win over the Toronto Raptors. But their hopes of securing a playoff spot directly seem to be fading. Despite the win, their best player seemed to be aware of their situation.
Speaking to reporters in the locker room after the game, he lamented the missed opportunity. “To be completely honest, we put ourselves in a tough position to make it to that 6 now.”
Now, the focus for the squad is clear. “Playing the right brand of basketball, playing the right style of basketball. Learn from the past five games before this and just continue to move forward.”
As the lone superstar on the team, Booker has taken the role of leadership very seriously. Leading the roster in points (25.5) and assists (5.9), he’s been their primary option on offense. That has affected his efficiency, particularly from 3-point territory, where he’s shooting an underwhelming 32.3% on nearly 6 attempts a game.
While the roster is clearly not deep enough to sustain a playoff run, the foundations of an identity are clearly in place. Now, they need to be smart with the pieces they add in the coming few years, and the Suns could become a legitimately frisky team.
