There is not much time left for the Phoenix Suns.
For the Phoenix Suns, things weren’t meant to proceed this way.
In an ideal world, this year would have been the team’s recovery from the injuries, trades, coaching change, and inconsistent lineup that plagued 2023.
The 45-win season the previous year—which culminated in a six-game matchup with the NBA champions—was meant to be the exception. The Suns were officially all-in when they acquired Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Kevin Durant to form an elite offensive trio, giving up almost all of their draft equity in the process.
With a 51-31 record, Phoenix finished second in the Western Conference and fifth overall when I made my preseason predictions for the 2023–24 campaign. That took into consideration the unavoidable absences, sudden shooting slumps, and the transitional period required when Frank Vogel assumed head coaching duties.
The Suns aren’t too far off from that prediction after four months. At the moment, they are playing at a 47.5 win pace. But the conference as a whole has advanced (many times) and overtaken Phoenix in the race for the championship. Since late December, the Suns have shown glimmers of excellence. However, none have endured long enough to become popular in the West or establish themselves as genuine competitors.
Phoenix had won 14 of their previous 18 games and had a +8.4 net rating, which placed them fourth in the league, going into the All-Star break.
Play resumed, and they staggered out of the gate right away. Against Houston on Friday, the offense struggled in the first half, scoring just 52 points on 54 possessions. They shot 22.6% from beyond the arc at the end of the game, which is just not going to help them win on the road. The previous evening, Phoenix lost a crucial game that determined the tiebreaker with Dallas after giving up 41 points and 11 assists to their fiercest opponent, Luka Doncic.
