Let’s quickly rewind to the Phoenix Suns’ hot start last season.
First, they were 1-1. Then, they won seven straight for an 8-1 record. Then, they were 9-2. Things looked promising. The vibes felt… back? It’s important to remember what happened.
This was a snippet taken out of an ESPN recap article: “The Suns improved to 8-1 overall and 7-0 in games that are within five points in the final five minutes. The Suns extended their winning streak to seven games, the last three of which Phoenix’s opponent
has had the ball on the final possession with the chance to tie or take the lead.”
Turns out, all the luck in those close wins ran out quickly. Durant getting hurt and missing the next 7 games after that didn’t help either, but that’s the reality of an NBA season. There will be adversity.
Then, they lost five straight games, which gave them a 9-7 record, marking the beginning of one of the most disastrous seasons in franchise history relative to expectations.
Cardinal Connection
Our crosstown friends, the Arizona Cardinals, started this season 2-0. They have now lost three straight, including one of the most embarrassing losses in franchise history to the 0-4 Titans, to fall to 2-3 after their promising start.
The loss to the Titans feels like it could be the start of the wheels falling off entirely, but you aren’t here for Cardinals analysis. The point is, the start to the season (good or bad) should not and does not dictate how the rest of the season will go.
This will be the last ever football reference I will make, do not worry.
How can the Suns avoid this?
Of course, we’d all love to see another strong start from the Suns; just one that’s built to last. Whether they open 8-3 or 4-7, what matters more is how stable the foundation looks underneath.
That’s what this new regime — Jordan Ott and Brian Gregory — has been preaching. Identity. Alignment. Work over words. Gregory’s talked about “doing our own thing” and setting the tone through culture rather than hype. Ott has backed that up, emphasizing players who actually live it, from Oso Ighodaro’s summer grind to Dillon Brooks’ relentless habits.
The Suns need that mindset more than anything. Because the second adversity hits (and it will hit), we’ll find out who this team really is.
If the shots stop falling or injuries pile up, will they stay connected? If they rip off a few big wins, can they stay grounded? That’s where the growth happens. They showed some promise in their preseason opener of being a team that embraces diving for loose balls and making an extra effort. Yes, it’s preseason, and the Lakers were without LeBron and Luka, but that should be looked at on the flip side.
The fact that the fight was present in a low-stakes game without star power on the other side bodes well for the goal of this new regime coming into fruition.
A strong start means nothing if it leads to complacency. A slow start means nothing if it leads to panic. The real measure will be whether the Suns, from Booker down to the rookies, can hold the line when the easy stretch turns ugly. This is where they’ve failed in the past.
Professional sports seasons are marathons, not sprints. The Suns learned that the hard way last year. The question now: did they actually learn from it?
