The first six games of the season have been played. The Phoenix Suns have a 1-5 record with multiple blowout losses. Sound the alarms? Actually, don’t panic.
***Note – All statistics as of Monday morning October 29***
The first game of the Phoenix Suns’ season provided a sigh of relief. A good feeling. A good vibe.
The next five games…not so much.
After winning the first game in fourth quarter takeover Devin Booker-style, the Phoenix Suns lost the next five. Several of those losses were blowouts.
It’s easy to get bummed out. To be tempted to sound the alarms.
Realistically, though, the truth is that fans should NOT panic.
That’s a bold statement, yes, especially since right now we are on our faces in rubble (a -94 point differential through five consecutive losses) wondering what just happened.
So, here are some statistics to make you feel a little bit better:
First, one must look at the opponents faced, not just the Suns’ record.
Three losses came against the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, and Memphis Grizzlies.
That franchise trio is a combined 13-4.
The Suns also faced the Los Angeles Lakers, which despite their current record, roster one of the best players of all-time.
Phoenix also ended up losing by just 7 points to the Oklahoma City Thunder, nearly completing a fourth quarter comeback. They were down 24 points with less than 5 minutes in regulation.
Though there are some nasty team stats (leading the league in turnovers per game), there are also some bright spots.
Phoenix Suns
Despite not having an established and proven point guard, the team is actually 6th in the NBA in assists per game. That’s impressive.
They are also quite efficient – 9th in points per shot and 11th in field goal percentage.
Let’s look deeper, at the individual players.
Tyson Chandler, at 36 years old, is making 63.6% of his field goals and averaging 5.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game.
Richaun Holmes has grabbed 9 boards and 1 block in only 22 minutes total playing time.
Either is a capable backup center in limited minutes for our number one pick.
If you toss out Troy Daniels‘ 4 minute debut and Jamal Crawford‘s two initial 7 minute appearances, the duo has combined for a 50-40-100 shooting line good for 34 points in 65 minutes.
The shooters are shooting. And they’re making their shots.
Ryan Anderson may be starting to find his jumper. After a horrific 26-17-50 shooting line in his first three games, he’s upped that to a 45-30-100 shooting line and is scoring 10.3 points per game in his last three.
If you toss out the mere seconds Mikal Bridges played in his first game, he’s supplied a 39-31-86 shooting line and averaged 1 made trey with 6.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1.2 steals in 18.2 minutes per game.
That’s not great but it’s not bad and he’s starting to show glimpses of why the Suns traded for him on draft night.
Josh Jackson, minus his games against the Nuggets and Warriors, is shooting 44% from the field and 31% from beyond the arc for 11 points in 24.5 minutes per game off the pine.
Isaiah Canaan, minus his games against the Lakers and Thunder, has a 47-33-83 shooting line, averaging 10.3 points with 3.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Trevor Ariza has really struggled on the road but in his pair of home games he’s absolutely lit it up with a 52-53-83 shooting line, making 4 triples per match and logging 17.5 points, 5.5 assists and 5 rebounds.
Forget T.J. Warren‘s dud vs the Memphis Grizzlies and he’s been on fire to start the season. That includes a 53-52-88 shooting line, a newfound ability to hit the deep ball (netting 2.2 per game) and a 17.6 point scoring average in 24.2 minutes per game off the bench.
In the search for a legit starting point guard, Elie Okobo is doing his best to put in his name for consideration for the gig, even if just for the short term. In his last two contests he’s put up a 50-45-88 shooting line, netted 5 treys and totaled 30 points, 9 assists and 5 boards with only 4 turnovers in 49 minutes.
This is all before the Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton show – which is showing a lot of promise to be something to watch for a LONG time.
Booker is averaging 27.8 points and 6.8 assists with a 51-39-82 shooting line so far this season.
Ayton, minus his game against the Denver Nuggets, is making 68% of his field goals and scoring 20 points per game with 10.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and just under a steal and a block per game.
Also, not to be forgotten… Earl Watson is gone. Jay Triano, the interim is gone. Phoenix has a legit Head Coach in Igor Kokoskov. He’s already shown the ability to help the team space the floor and his “Hammer” play is fun to watch and will be amazing once the team is fully able to utilize it.
Yes, the Suns are 1-5. No, you should not panic.
Hopefully, this leaves you with some newfound hope moving forward. Go Suns!