3 things to look for when Phoenix Suns return to play

Team Chemistry

One thing anyone who has never played a team sport on any level (or higher level) often overlooks when analyzing a team’s success is their mix of personalities and chemistry.

On paper, talent can take you a long way, but you can’t truly achieve greatness without everyone buying in and accepting their role and each other.

Do you want a good example of that? Watch the 2004 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Detroit Pistons.

The Lakers had two of the 10 greatest players in league history in their prime in Shaq and Kobe, and two other first-ballot Hall of Fame players in Karl Malone and Gary Payton.

The Pistons were talented, but had no NBA superstars on their roster and frankly had no business being able to beat the Lakers. But they did. In fact, they dominated them in five games.

You know why? They played with heart, toughness, and everybody knew and accepted their role.

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As an NBA player, you are already around your teammates a ridiculous amount for nine months of the year traveling around the country.

When you add in that you are now quarantined with them (and not your family potentially) with nowhere else to go or reason to split up into cliques, true chemistry will either be enhanced or exposed.

If the Suns really have the makings of the core of their next great or even good era of basketball (I may be happy with average at this point), they need to exhibit enhanced chemistry and teamwork in these extremely unique circumstances.

James Jones knows the secret as a member of three NBA championship teams. I am sure he is hoping just as I am and you should be as a Suns fan that his roster will exemplify the sort of mix of personalities and harmony that is paramount to establishing a winning culture once again in Phoenix.

Sometimes the greatest opportunities arise out of the most unique set of circumstances, let’s hope that message rings for the Phoenix Suns in Orlando.