Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Suns fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
With a surprising 19-13 start to their season, people’s expectations from the Phoenix Suns’ are starting to shift. Before the year, they were considered to be not only one of their worst teams in the Western Conference, but also in the NBA. Back in October, Fan Duel set the team’s
regular season win total at 30.5; now, it’s at 44.5 and their odds to win 40+ is set at -670, meaning you’d have to bet $670 to win 100.
Sitting cozily in the seventh seed for sometime, their .594 winning percentage equates to 49 wins this season, the same amount that they won two seasons ago and 13 more than they did last year. Saturday’s win against the New Orleans officially meant that they doubled their win total from a year ago just 31 into the 82 game season.
The team has been superb against inferior competition so far. On Monday, Collin Gillespie, Dillon Brooks and Devin Booker’s 20+ point games led them to victory against the Eastern Conference’s 14th seeded Washington Wizards, and a few nights before the team took advantage of the West’s 15th seeded Pelicans back-to-back nights. The team is 12-2 against teams who are not currently in the playoffs or play-in in their conference, and Phoenix has 16 more such games the rest of the season, nearly one-third of their contests.
However, while they have a lot of games left against easier competition, they also boast the third-toughest strength of schedule remaining. Phoenix has been competitive against the best teams they’ve played, but they’re not as strong against them as they are against weaker competition. In their last 11 games against teams above .500, Phoenix is 6-7 (no, not the meme, the actual record).
The team is in one of their best stretches of the season and has won four-straight and five of their last six, including wins over division rivals the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. After their surprising start to the season, what do you think their win total will be at the end of the season and how much has it changed from the start of the season and why?
