The Importance Of The Playoffs For The Phoenix Suns

Jan 4, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker (17) high fives guard Eric Bledsoe (2) against the Toronto Raptors at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Raptors 125-109. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker (17) high fives guard Eric Bledsoe (2) against the Toronto Raptors at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Raptors 125-109. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix Suns are a hard franchise to define. On the one hand, they’ve never won a championship and they’ve only made it to the NBA Finals twice. The greatest player in the team’s history (Steve Nash) never got his chance at a Larry O’Brien trophy and the second greatest player (Charles Barkley) was only in Phoenix for four seasons.

And yet, the Suns are the fourth winningest franchise in NBA history, a fact that is almost always overlooked by everyone who lives outside the Valley. This team may never have won it all, but they’ve been a frequent presence in the playoffs and they’ve seen plenty of all-time greats walk through the doors of the “Madhouse on McDowell,” the “Purple Palace” and “Planet Orange.”

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All of which explains why this ongoing rebuilding phase has felt so unfamiliar and uncomfortable to Suns fans.

Entering the 2015-16 season, the Suns have missed the playoffs for five straight years, tying the franchise’s longest playoff drought. If Phoenix falls out of the top eight seeds in the West again, they’ll set a new low for the organization, even if this current Suns team would be a surefire playoff team in the East.

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The Suns are no longer the terrible team they were in their first season after Amar’e Stoudemire‘s exit. They’re no longer a Western Conference bottom-feeder like they were after Nash’s departure. But with general manager Ryan McDonough having been in the driver’s seat for three summers now, the Suns are still in the rebuilding stage they’ve been in since the summer of 2010.

That’s not to say progress hasn’t been made over the last five years. Though a few of McDonough’s decisions have ultimately doomed the team (the Isaiah Thomas sign-and-trade or the Marcus Morris trade, for example), they’ve all been sound, smart moves on their own.

A starting caliber point guard like Thomas for a trade exception and the rights to Alex Oriakhi? Sure. Shipping away the troubled Mook for a chance at LaMarcus Aldridge? Absolutely. The moves made complete sense at the time.

But even with McDonough winning individual battles, the Suns are still losing the war. The crowds at US Airways Center (soon to be Talking Stick Resort Arena) haven’t been as dead as the Morris twins would lead you to believe, but apart from 2013-14, they haven’t had much to cheer about either.

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  • In the upcoming season, the Suns have about as much talent in their (potential) starting five as they’ve had since 2010, when the team reached the Western Conference Finals. A core of Eric BledsoeBrandon KnightP.J. TuckerMarkieff MorrisTyson Chandler isn’t going to achieve that same level of success, but with everyone on the same page, the Suns are a team capable of making the postseason, even in the West.

    The question is, will it all come together?

    A lot of things have to go right for Phoenix to end its current playoff drought. Markieff Morris has to see reason and agree to suck it up and just play basketball — whether it’s for the good of the team or for the good of his trade value. Brandon Knight has to learn how to play alongside Bledsoe, who has to learn how to take better care of the ball and bring the intensity every night.

    Tyson Chandler has to stay healthy. Mirza Teletovic has to regain his shooting prowess after blood clots in his lungs derailed his 2014-15 season. Alex Len has to acclimate himself to a bench role once again as Chandler’s pupil. T.J. Warren, Sonny Weems and/or Archie Goodwin must step up as bench contributors. It’s a lot to ask of a group of new, young teammates.

    That’s why it’s so encouraging that every Suns player under contract (except for the disgruntled Keef) has shown up for voluntary workouts ahead of schedule. That’s why Eric Bledsoe attending Summer League games matters. That’s why Chandler’s willingness to reach out to Keef is so vital.

    Most of the players on this roster have been new additions over the last few months. In fact, the longest tenured Sun at this point is Markieff Morris, who was drafted in 2011. This organization hasn’t had much stability over the last few years, with McDonough constantly changing parts to try and upgrade to the next big thing.

    The ambition is encouraging, but Suns fans are still searching for that familiar face to get behind. Goran Dragic was the closest thing Phoenix had to a new face of the franchise, but even the Slovenian successor to Steve Nash wound up wanting to skip town. Between roster instability, off the court drama and five straight seasons of missing the playoffs, the 2015-16 season is vital for restoring hope in the belief that all this grief and all this patience is actually building up to something.

    That’s why this summer has featured a collective effort to drum up nostalgia and optimism for next season. That’s why the “We Are PHX” campaign is so important. That’s why the sunburst is returning to center court, that’s why purple lines have been painted on the floor, that’s why a Suns scrimmage will be held at the Madhouse on McDowell and that’s why Steve Nash will be inducted into the Suns Ring of Honor in a few weeks.

    Based on those events alone, you’d think the Suns were coming off their first championship season. And yet, they’re still a young, promising team that might not even make the playoffs next year.

    Looking back on the events of a roller coaster summer reveals why it’s so important for this team to break through the barrier and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. It’s not just about Bledsoe’s ability to step up as a leader or Knight’s fit in Phoenix. It’s not only about getting the young guys playoff experience or making Keef happy.

    It’s about backing up the idea that McDonough’s savvy individual moves are actually helping this franchise make progress. It’s about competing in one of the deepest and most talented Western Conference pools the league has ever seen. It’s about taking the next step back to contention, a place this franchise has regularly found itself dating back to the 1990s.

    It may not seem like much, but making the playoffs next season and avoiding that franchise-record six-year playoff drought is of the utmost important for a franchise trying to build from the middle up like the Phoenix Suns.

    Next: Phoenix Suns: Grading The Offseason

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