Everyone can recognize the never-ending injury battle the Phoenix Suns are facing right now, but the fact is, the Suns are playing bad basketball. With the postseason right around the corner, they need to right the ship ASAP.
The struggles
The Suns have been bad for a while. Post All-Star break, they have a record of 8-10 with a NETRTG of -1.3, which ranks 19th in the NBA. Narrowing it down even further, the Suns are 1-6 in their last 7 games, and the most brutal part of that stretch: an average point differential of just -1.6.
The main area of concern as of late, especially when considering the atmosphere of playoff basketball, is their struggles in the 4th quarter and on the road. Post All-Star, the Suns have a NETRTG of -6.0 in the 4th quarter, which dips even further, down to -9.1, on the road. Over this span, they’re 3-5 on the road, as their NETRTG falls to -2.8 (in comparison to 0.0 at home).
It’s not just that they’re struggling; they’re struggling in areas of utmost importance with playoff basketball on the horizon. If a team can’t close out a 4th quarter and win games on the road, that team will not be successful come playoff time.
The dreaded play-in tournament
The Suns have already clinched the postseason as a top-10 seed in the West, and it would take a monumental collapse for them to lose their place as the 7th seed, but that doesn’t mean they’re a lock for the playoffs. It takes just two consecutive losses in the play-in for the Suns to miss the playoffs altogether, and looking at their potential opponents, that’s not an unfathomable scenario.
Their opponent in the first matchup will likely be the L.A. Clippers. Since starting the season 5-21, the Clippers are 31-15, with Kawhi Leonard boasting a career-best season at age 34. That’s a dangerous postseason opponent to any team, not just the Suns.
Behind them are two opponents not to get too excited about, either. The Portland Trailblazers, who beat the Suns in their most recent matchup back in February, sit at No. 9. At No. 10 are the Golden State Warriors, who could have Steph Curry back by the postseason.
History is in the Suns’ favor, as no 7-seed has failed to advance to the playoffs since the inception of the play-in in 2021 (and only 2 of the 10 ended up as the 8-seed). Still, in a one-game sample size, any one of these teams has a legitimate shot at taking down the Suns.
The injuries
Injuries have certainly taken a toll on the Suns, essentially acting as the determining factor in their recent struggles, and although it’s a valid excuse, that doesn’t mean the struggles are something to brush past.
The outlook on their current injuries will likely have them healthy by the end of the season, which is great news, but at this rate, there’s no reason to believe there won’t be a whole new batch of injuries by then. It’s been a bug that’s ailed them all season long.
Even if they can get healthy, these injuries have stunted the team’s chemistry. Their projected starting lineup when fully healthy, Booker-Green-Brooks-O’Neale-Williams, has played just 2 games and a total of 11 minutes together. There’s good reason to doubt a team that has so little experience together.
The postseason outlook
That all being said, this is a team that has defied the odds all season long. There’s absolutely a chance they can turn this all around in an instant. If there’s ever been a Suns team that fans should keep their faith in, it’s this one. If they do ultimately fail, this season is still a success given how bleak the Suns’ future looked just a year ago.
There’s just a concerning level of uncertainty less than a month away from the postseason. It feels as though there are countless imaginable scenarios of how this season plays out, ranging from the Suns getting knocked out in the play-in to pulling off a miraculous Round 1 upset against the Spurs.
Buckle up, Suns fans.