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<\/p>\nAfter thinking about what shape my next article should take, one idea naturally imposed itself: telling the Suns\u2019 season through three statistics, or rather three groups of statistics. Numbers that speak, each in their own way. Some positive, others more concerning, and others simply revealing the team\u2019s style of play this season, without judgment.<\/p>\n
The more abstract data will be explained, contextualized, and turned into a story. Think of this article as a hat filled with little slips of paper: you know why you reach in, you trust the process, but you have no idea what you\u2019re going to pull out. One thing is certain: you\u2019re in for a good time.<\/p>\n
Free Throw Rate<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the first slip drawn: the \u201cFT Rate.\u201d But what is it? It\u2019s simply the number of free throws attempted per 100 possessions. Logically, the higher the number, the more an offense generates trips to the line. This season, the Suns rank 25th, with 19 free throws attempted per 100 possessions. Pretty mediocre at first glance (though numbers always come with nuance and context). For comparison, it\u2019s the 6th\u2011worst mark in franchise history since 2003\u201104.<\/p>\n
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But as I said, there\u2019s a reason behind it, and you may have guessed it. This season, Phoenix barely plays in the paint. Only 25% of their shots come within 4 feet of the rim (compared to 35% from mid\u2011range and 40% from three). And since that\u2019s the area where fouls are most often called, it explains the team\u2019s low Free Throw Rate.<\/p>\n
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New Orleans Pelicans v Phoenix Suns<\/p>\n
I also think the team lacks a crafty foul\u2011baiter, someone who can squeeze a few easy points at the line. Outside of the trio Williams, Brooks, and Booker \u2014 all above +6 in this metric \u2014 the rest of the roster sits at 0 or below (shoutout to Grayson at +2). For once this season, the team depends heavily on a few individuals.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve talked about the Suns\u2019 own score, but not yet about their opponents\u2019 when facing Phoenix, and it\u2019s just as \u201cmediocre\u201d for the Valley: opponents post a 23 FTR (league average is 21). Meaning that this season, Phoenix loses this battle more often than not. A defense this aggressive and courageous is effective, but it still shows clear limits: giving up a lot of free throws is one of them. But Phoenix knows how to play through its weaknesses, which is why it\u2019s hovering around a 60% win rate.<\/p>\n
Isolation Defense<\/p>\n
The Phoenix Suns have been remarkably dominant defensively in isolation this season. With an allowed Points Per Possession (PPP) of just 0.77, they lead the league in this category, ranking 1st with a perfect 100th percentile, meaning no team defends one\u2011on\u2011one better this year. Their ability to force turnovers is just as impressive: with a 17% turnover rate on isolation possessions, they\u2019re also first in the NBA.<\/p>\n
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For historical comparison, since 2014, Phoenix ranks 2nd and 9th among all teams in these two metrics. The Suns\u2019 defense is historically elite in many areas, and as a big fan of defense, it\u2019s a joy to watch.<\/p>\n
This statistical duo reflects an ultra\u2011disciplined defense, capable of both containing opposing creators and capitalizing on their mistakes, whether in reading, decision\u2011making, or positioning. It\u2019s a pillar of their defensive identity, carried notably by players who shine in this area: Dillon Brooks, Oso Ighodaro, Ryan Dunn, and Jordan Goodwin.<\/p>\n
Consistency Rating<\/p>\n
The \u201cConsistency Rating\u201d is a stat I recently found on NBAstuffer.com. It\u2019s calculated from game\u2011to\u2011game variations in efficiency differential. In short, the lower the number, the more stable and reliable a team\u2019s performance is. This season, among the most unpredictable teams, you\u2019ll find the Knicks, Charlotte, and the Lakers, all above 16. On the opposite end, Denver, Detroit, and Dallas are among the most consistent (scores below 13), regardless of context.<\/p>\n
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The Suns, unfortunately, sit in the bottom 10 with a Consistency Rating of 15.8 (23rd). Concretely \u2014 and I find this fascinating for pseudo\u2011prediction \u2014 a score of 15.8 means that from one game to the next, the Suns\u2019 net rating changes by about 15 to 16 points on average. A recent example: Phoenix lost by 9 to the Heat, then won by 4 against the Nets (a 13\u2011point swing). Continuing from the Brooklyn game, they then beat the Pistons by 18 (a 14\u2011point swing).<\/p>\n
Phoenix\u2019s performances aren\u2019t predictable, but we can still expect a dip here and there. The level swings drastically, but it\u2019s not necessarily alarming: the game plan is stable (offensively and defensively). What causes this irregularity, in my opinion, is their shooting variance, especially from deep. Take a random stretch from December 17 to 27: the Suns shot 29%, 34%, 41%, 20%, 45% from three. A roller coaster, to say the least.<\/p>\n
The point differentials over those five games are also wild: +1, -3, +24, +7, +9. Over that stretch, the differentials are fairly stable, but the third game blows everything up. Again, not alarming, but it does raise questions for a potential postseason. The Suns can beat anyone\u2026but they can also collapse against a weaker team if the shooting doesn\u2019t follow.<\/p>\n
In the end, these three stats paint a nuanced portrait of the Phoenix Suns: a talented team, sometimes frustrating, but always fascinating. This is not a linear team. It\u2019s a team of peaks and valleys, of runs, of stretches where everything clicks and others where nothing falls. A team that can beat anyone\u2026 and make life difficult against anyone.<\/p>\n
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So the question isn\u2019t whether the Suns are good. They are. The real question is which version of themselves they\u2019ll choose to show when the pressure rises. And let\u2019s not forget: this is the first year of this group. The best is still ahead. I trust everyone within the franchise. See you for the game against the Clippers (yes, another Sunday with me\u2026).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After thinking about what shape my next article should take, one idea naturally imposed itself: telling the Suns\u2019…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":574193,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3791],"tags":[7,670,559,686,301,296,1195,397,6,11328,2065,472,4045,4909,604,2152,6445],"class_list":{"0":"post-574192","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix-suns","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-brooklyn","10":"tag-clippers","11":"tag-dallas","12":"tag-denver","13":"tag-detroit","14":"tag-dillon-brooks","15":"tag-jordan-goodwin","16":"tag-nba","17":"tag-oso-ighodaro","18":"tag-phoenix","19":"tag-phoenix-suns","20":"tag-phoenixsuns","21":"tag-ryan-dunn","22":"tag-suns","23":"tag-the-lakers","24":"tag-the-suns"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115993052884685647","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/574192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=574192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/574192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/574193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=574192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=574192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=574192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}