By the numbers, the Phoenix Suns were average this season, and that is perfectly okay. Right before the All-Star break in February, that would have sounded like a disappointment, but before the season it would have been a huge success.
This season was a rollercoaster ride, as most NBA seasons are. Some of the highlights included: Collin Gillespie’s game-winner against the Timberwolves, Devin Booker’s game-winner against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and blowing out the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio
Spurs. There were also some lows: getting blown out by the Thunder, Spurs, and Rockets, injuries, and a below-.500 stretch post-All-Star break.
There are a million different angles to dissect how this season went for the Suns, who stood out, injuries, who underperformed, where the Suns should go from here, whether the Suns were more real before the All-Star break or after, and many more angles. Which will all be dissected throughout the summer on our site and everywhere else you get your Suns fix.
The Suns finished the season 15th in net rating at +1.5; they ranked ninth in defense and 17th in offense. They finished seventh in the West, and tied for the 13th-best record in the league at 45-37 with the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Suns finished fifth in offensive rebound percentage, but 27th in defensive rebounding percentage. Phoenix finished fourth in steals per game, but finished 19th in turnover percentage. Outside of Devin Booker’s All-Star game appearance, there likely will not be any member of the organization who earns an end-of-season award or is named to a team All-NBA or All-Defensive team.
The Suns, by the numbers, were average. But what the numbers cannot tell you is that this team competed hard every night before the All-Star break, and most nights after the All-Star break. Many times, they were positionally challenged, having to play multiple shooting guard-sized players out of position, and still Jordan Ott and his staff put out the best lineups they could for success every night. Players like Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Oso Ighodaro, Grayson Allen, and Dillon Brooks exceeded all preseason expectations, while Jalen Green, Ryan Dunn, Mark Williams, Royce O’Neale, and the rookies were up and down.
The Suns did not get lucky with health this season either: Booker missed 18 games and had an average Booker season, Green missed 50 games, Brooks missed 26 games, and Allen missed 31 games. However, even with their four highest-paid players out of the lineup, the Suns still managed to find ways to win. With the way that the Suns finished the season (13-14 after the All-Star break), Ott is not a frontrunner to win Coach of the Year anymore, but his ability to have everyone on the roster buy into his philosophy and play hard for him cannot be taken for granted after what Suns fans have experienced the previous two seasons.
The Suns were average by the numbers, but they established an identity, a culture, and a style of play that will be successful in the years to come because they know what works and what does not in the NBA. Do the Suns have a lot of work to do to compete for championships again? Absolutely, and this offseason might be more difficult than last summer’s because of all the question marks on the roster.
The good news going forward is that the Suns have Devin Booker, Jordan Ott, Dillon Brooks, and a young, athletic core they can build around for the future and stay competitive right now. Hope is the most powerful drug in sports, and living without hope for your team is depressing, just ask Arizona Cardinals fans. The Phoenix Suns organization, from Mat Ishbia, Brian Gregory, Jordan Ott, and the rest of the organization have injected the fan base with hope again.
So, whether the Suns do not make the playoffs, get swept in the first round, or win the NBA Finals, this season was an overwhelming success, despite it being a perfectly average season.
