The Phoenix Suns’ 2019-20 schedule: Breaking down January and February
By Adam Noel
The Phoenix Suns officially have their 2019-20 regular season schedule. Let us break down and predict what will happen in January and February.
January
The Phoenix Suns will open up the New Year in spectacular fashion taking on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on the road. It will mark the second meeting of the season between the two teams and the first on the road for the Suns.
What follows is a five-game home stand beginning with the New York Knicks on Jan. 3. and concluding with the now Kemba Walker-less Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 12.
Only one of those five made the playoffs last season (Orlando Magic), which means it’s a softer part of the month for Phoenix. That should result in a winning record to start 2020 – unless things start to fall off the wagon.
The Suns return to the road Jan. 14 against the Atlanta Hawks, followed by the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics at their places. With the East Coast trip wrapped up, Phoenix returns home to square off with the San Antonio Spurs. That game marks a tough three-game stretch facing the Spurs twice, then matching up with the Indiana Pacers.
On Jan. 26 the Suns head back on the road to take on the newly put together Memphis Grizzlies.
It will be fourth and final time Phoenix plays the Grizzlies, giving Suns fans plenty of opportunity to see second overall selection Ja Morant.
Two days later, the Suns take on the Dallas Mavericks in American Airlines Center. Led by two of the top rookies of the 2018 draft class, the Suns should provide a much-see matchup with the Mavericks.
Phoenix concludes the month on Friday, Jan. 31, against Chris Paul and the new-look Oklahoma City Thunder. That will be an intriguing game to look out for as Phoenix wraps up it’s two-game season series with Thunder.
Games at home: 8 / Games on the road: 7
Game of the month: January 1 v the Los Angeles Lakers
January Record Prediction: 5-10
Combined record prediction to date: 20-28
February
The Phoenix Suns begin the month on Feb. 2 with the top team of the Eastern Conference from a season ago, the Milwaukee Bucks. The game takes place in Milwaukee and is the first of only two games this season the Suns will play in the afternoon. The tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. MST.
Staying on the road, the Suns next take on the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 3 and the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 5. Each will be teams vying for a playoff spots in the weaker Eastern Conference which should present a tough start to the month for Phoenix which could come away winless on the road.
What follows is a the toughest part of the Suns’ schedule (Feb. 7-12) as the team faces what could be the top-four teams in the Western Conference: the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
Realistically the Suns lose all four and continue a rough start to the month of February.
Phoenix Suns
Luckily that comes right before the 2020 NBA All-Star break allowing Phoenix to hopefully regain their composure before returning to action on Feb. 21.
That comes against the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors on the road. This will presumably be a difficult matchup for the Suns, although The North did lose Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green this offseason.
Continuing the road trip, the Suns travel to Chicago (Feb. 22), then Utah (Feb. 24). The Bulls seem like a much-more favorable game of the two and could provide Phoenix with their first win of the month.
But just when things seem rosy, the Suns could continue downward slide.
The team next takes on the new dynamic duo of Paul George and Kawhi on Wednesday Feb. 26. That will be the final of a four-game series with the division foe Clippers and should result in another loss for the Suns.
Staying at home, Phoenix then takes on the Pistons, in what could be a 50-50 game.
To wrap up February, the Suns face the Warriors for the second time in the month on Feb. 29. That will end the toughest part of Phoenix’s season and bookends the month with yet another playoff contending team in the schedule.
While the Suns should have a stronger start to the year, it could be an extremely difficult February that dooms the franchise to another losing season.
Analyzing the Phoenix Suns' December schedule. dark. Next