Phoenix Suns: How Their Defense Improved And The Offense Died
The Phoenix Suns are about to miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season. For the fourth winningest franchise in the NBA, the 2014-15 season has been a disappointment bred in heightened expectations after such a surprising 2013-14 campaign that saw the Suns win 48 games.
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Jeff Hornacek was a Coach of the Year candidate, Goran Dragic was a Third Team All-NBA point guard and Phoenix’s lovable band of misfits came within one game of the playoffs in a tanking season. Nobody outside of Suns territory gave them a chance to make the playoffs this year, but everybody in Phoenix knew different.
The rest of the world was going to doubt, and the Suns were going to shock them again.
Except it hasn’t panned out that way. One day after the All-Star break, the Suns had lost their place at eighth in the Western Conference and since then, it’s been a steady decline downhill. Before the break, the Suns were one of the most potent offenses in the league and had posted a respectable 29-25 record. Since then, the Suns are 9-13.
How did Phoenix’s offense crumble so dramatically? And how did the Suns’ defense suddenly become respectable? The season may be over, but in order to understand the path this team’s young core is on after a major roster shakeup, here’s look at how the Phoenix Suns found their defense and left the offense to die a slow and painful death.
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