The 2018-19 season is officially over for the Phoenix Suns. Fans have officially survived another year of losing and another round of torture.
Torture may seem like a very strong word but there is no doubt that Phoenix Suns fans have suffered repeated mental pain and embarrassment while seriously having our endurance tested and that’s the very definition of the word.
It’s sad, really, that this is what the state of the team has come to and that this is what it means to be a modern day fan of this once fun franchise.
When the final buzzer sounded against the Dallas Mavericks it didn’t just end the game but the season, officially. It was the 63rd loss as the team only picked up 19 wins.
That’s what this city has grown custom to when it comes to it’s professional basketball team, not many wins but rather a ton of losses. It didn’t used to be this way but for younger or newer fans this is the reality that you choose to accept if you support this team.
Not making the playoffs makes this the 9th consecutive campaign that the team did not participate in the post season. The Suns have an overall record of 272-450 in that time, seen EIGHT different head coaches and THREE different general managers.
Over the last 4 seasons combined, the team has won 87 games, an average of 21.8 wins per season. This is since Devin Booker, the face of the franchise, was drafted. It’s not a knock on him at all but he really needs help.
Last season the Suns logged their second worst record in franchise history with 21 wins. They were awarded the number one pick in the draft and trotted out to 19 wins. So, just to make sure you’re doing the math right, they picked first and had 2 less victories.
That’s not a knock on Deandre Ayton as he had a very good rookie season and looks to have a bright future ahead of him.
Phoenix was supposed to be better this year, or at least that’s what fans were led to believe, but somehow they were worse than last season.
The Suns basically trotted out this season without any form of a legitimate point guard or power forward. They signed a veteran forward and traded for another prior to the season and neither of them supplied the team with much at all.
They fired their general manager right before the season and decided they would just employ two co-interim GMs instead of getting someone actually qualified to call the shots. The laughing stock of the league is exactly what they were and that’s simply unacceptable.
This team has a long road ahead of them but it absolutely HAS to go up from here. This has been enough torture for fans and the start of something special is in the works with Booker and Ayton, as well as a lot of promise in some talented youth, but the front office and owner (please, Robert Sarver) need to make this summer a big one.
Enough with the losing and enough with the torture. The Phoenix Suns need to be at the very least competitive again. The playoffs need to be around the corner and the team needs to do whatever it must to make it so for fans. We deserve it after all we’ve been through.