The Phoenix Suns will beat the Warriors in the regular season

Several months ago I made a few way-too-early predictions about the Phoenix Suns this season. One of them was that the Suns would bet the Golden State Warriors. Thus far I was right as they have a victory over the league’s best team in the preseason. However, my prediction was for the regular season, and I am now even more confident that they will be able to pull off such an upset.

The Phoenix Suns defeated the Golden State Warriors, an intentionally and partially depleted Warriors preseason team, fairly handily, themselves without Devin Booker and while playing Dragan Bender in the final few minutes of the game.

While this was a preseason game and thus very little can be taken from it, it should be noted that the Warriors did play Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, while Steve Kerr was still the head coach – until he was ejected in the third quarter.

The Phoenix Suns played with heart and shot the lights out, something that was expected to happen more often with the summer acquisitions of Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson, not to mention the continued good play of first overall pick of Deandre Ayton, a player that even when Golden State would be playing all out, will be very difficult for the Warriors – or any team – to completely shut down.

For the Suns to ever beat the Warriors during the regular season though, they will need to be hot (and as was noted during the broadcast every team puts forth their best efforts against the Warriors so it’s not like the Suns will ever sleep-walk through a game with Golden State) while the Warriors will have to themselves sleep walk a little.

After winning no fewer than 67 games from 2014-17, they “only” won 58 last season losing 24, a sign that they are beginning to get tired with the doldrums of the regular season and strictly playing for the playoffs.

Once again, this season they will probably more often than usual overlook teams like Phoenix and should the Suns shoot hot and Booker and Ayton play light’s out, the Suns will play competitively, and in one of their four matchups, sneak out a victory.

Again, very little can be taken from the Suns’ win over the Warriors on Monday night, but if there were positives that should be highlighted it is at least that we know what a good Suns team can look like (sans Devin Booker) and that the Warriors can definitely look beyond Phoenix on any given night potentially giving up a victory that until this season would never have been expected.

The Phoenix Suns of 2018-19 are the best team the franchise has ran onto the court in four seasons.

They are deeper, they have more veterans and strong experience and leadership at the top, and they are playing now to win.

While they aren’t going to win 50+ games, the Suns can win on any given night, and I still believe that the streak of Golden State victories over the Suns (which currently sits at 15 straight dating back to 2014) will, at some point this season, mercifully come to an end.