When asked if his team had improved any from last season and whether they had any kind of momentum heading into the All-Star break after falling to the Houston Rockets last night, head coach Jeff Hornacek didn’t create any illusions of optimism.
“Does it look like it? We’ve had opportunities. We’ve had tough stretches here prior to these four games, which we though maybe if we can get out of that tough stretch of eight games we were playing right in a row, but when you’re playing these teams — especially in the West — there’s no rest. You can’t have off-nights.”
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With a 29-25 record, the Phoenix Suns are precariously perched on the eighth seed precipice heading into the break. They hold a fragile one-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder for that spot, but are tied with them both in the loss column.
More than halfway through the season, we’ve learned a lot about these young Suns. Heading into the All-Star break, they’re in a bit of disarray, dropping seven of their last 10 contests and failing to capitalize on their home-court advantage (16-11 at home on the season).
With more than a week off to sit and ponder the identity of this team and what direction it needs to go in with the trade deadline approaching, it’s also time to evaluate what we’ve seen 54 games into the season.
Are the Suns still a legitimate playoff team? Do they have a bright future? Are expectations a little too unreasonable after last year’s feel-good season? In order to have a better idea of where this team is going, here’s a look at the six biggest takeaways from the first portion of the season.
Next: Takeaway No. 1 - Rebounding