Week 10 is in the books and it is one we walk away from feeling good. The Suns went 3-0, which helps, but there is more to it than the record. It’s the way they are doing it. And in a week that was full of holiday cheer, the Suns have been the best gift of them all. Unless someone bought you one of those Lexuses’ with a bow on top.
The holiday season has cleared out, and I am always ready for that. I enjoy the chaos, the noise, the parking lot music at Desert Ridge, then I crave normalcy again. Quiet.
Routine. Fewer blinking lights. Less sugar.
The funny part is the Suns have been anything but normal. They keep winning in different ways, reshaping games based on whatever the night demands. This week pushed them five games over .500, the high-water mark of the season thus far. They are starting to separate from the Play-In crowd, even if the standings still list them seventh. There is ground left to cover. That climb happens possession by possession, run by run. Same way I will tackle taking these damn Christmas lights down, one rung at a time.
Week 10 Record: 3-0
vs. Los Angeles Lakers, W, 132-108
- Possession Differential: -2.0
- Turnover Differential: -4
- Offensive Rebounding Differential: -2
Any day you beat the Los Angeles Lakers is a good day, injuries or not. Phoenix brought effort, juice, and that loose-ball hunger that flips games fast. The third quarter turned into a bonfire, a 45-point eruption that ended the conversation early. Jamaree Bouyea made his case, open threes finally behaved, and culture did the heavy lifting.
@ New Orleans Pelicans, W, 115-108
- Possession Differential: -3.5
- Turnover Differential: +5
- Offensive Rebounding Differential: +4
Friday night in New Orleans sent everyone back into the officiating vortex. The Phoenix Suns played their usual brand of physical, scrappy basketball and got whistled for it, while the New Orleans Pelicans lived at the free throw line. The irony saved Phoenix. New Orleans missed 17 of those freebies.
@ New Orleans Pelicans, W, 123-114
- Possession Differential: -0.2
- Turnover Differential: +3
- Offensive Rebounding Differential: +8
Phoenix did not waltz into New Orleans and steal two games. They took them. Back-to-back road wins over the Pelicans felt real, especially for a franchise that once treated effort like a suggestion. The Suns out-rebounded an opponent for the first time since November, buried 20 threes, and put seven players in double figures.
Inside the Possession Game
- Weekly Possession Differential: -5.7
- Weekly Turnover Differential: +4
- Offensive Rebounding Differential: +10
- Year-to-Date Over/Under .500: +5
Graph it.
This was the Suns’ worst week in turnover differential since opening week, and their worst overall possession differential since Week 2. Yet it was also the fourth time this season they posted an offensive rebounding margin of +10 or better. Weeks one, three, and six were the others. The combined record in those weeks was 4-6. This time, they went 3-0. Interesting, isn’t it?
Extra possessions give you opportunity, not guarantees. This week hammered that home. Phoenix turned it over more, watched opponents live at the line, and still found a way.
The swing stat was second-chance points. The Suns led the league in Week 10 at 24.7 per game. They also topped the NBA with 16.7 offensive rebounds and ranked fourth with 48.3 total boards. That dominance tilted games. Especially since they were middle of the pack from deep, shooting 35.6%, 15th in the league.
What this season keeps showing is that the Suns possess flexibility. Phoenix can win different kinds of nights. Some games, it is shot making. Others, it is grit, rebounding, and effort. That matters over 82 games. It matters even more in the postseason, where adjustments pile on top of adjustments. Talking playoffs in Week 11 feels early, sure. But it also feels earned.
Week 11 Preview
Here we are, Week 11, four games sitting on the Suns’ plate. The combined record of these opponents checks in at 57-67, a clean .460 clip. Two teams over .500. Two teams under it. This is how schedules are supposed to work. Not every night has to be a heavyweight bout. So let’s dig in.
The week opens with the road trip rolling on into Washington to face the Wizards. On paper, they sit at 6-23, which screams trap game. They recently dropped 138 on Toronto in a regulation game, no overtime funny business required. They have won three of their last six. That is not nothing. Yes, they rank near the bottom in offensive rating. Yes, the defensive numbers are even uglier. None of that matters if you stroll into the building thinking about the next city. Teams like this do not need much encouragement to punch you in the mouth. So it becomes another test for the Suns to stay engaged. Based on what we’ve seen thus far, that shouldn’t be an issue.
The road trip wraps on New Year’s Eve with a 1:30 PM tip against Cleveland. Weird time. Middle of the day. Midweek. We will take it anyway.
The Cavaliers are living on the opposite side of the expectation spectrum. Last season, they ran the East at 64-18. This year, they are hovering around .500 at 17-16, sitting eighth and searching for answers. The metrics paint a team stuck in neutral. Solid but not sharp. Talented but disconnected. You watch them and wonder if cohesion is an issue and if they may be missing a former assistant coach…
Friday brings the Suns back home to face Sacramento. They are 8-23 and drifting. Phoenix has already handled them twice. Opening night featured a 22-point comeback that felt like a mission statement. The second meeting on November 26 ended 112-100, never really in doubt. Since then, Sacramento has managed three wins in over a month. That is a long time to stare at the same problems in the mirror.
The week closes Sunday against Oklahoma City, and this is where the mood shifts. By their standards, the Thunder have stumbled a bit after losing the NBA Cup final to San Antonio, then dropping a home-and-home to the Spurs the following week. That does not make them harmless. Especially not against Phoenix. The Suns are 0-2 against OKC. One loss came on November 28. The other was December 10, a night that still smells like smoke, when the Thunder handed Phoenix the worst loss by margin in franchise history, 138-89.
All right, Bright Side. What will the Suns’ record be on the week?
