Phoenix Suns Making a Good Case for Best Offense in the NBA

Taking down the lowly Houston Rockets might not carry too much weight, but earning eight straight victories certainly does. The Phoenix Suns accomplished both those things tonight, defeating the Rockets by a 115-89 score, and tying the “bubble Suns” for the longest win streak in the Monty Williams era.

As he typically does, Devin Booker led the way at the offensive end during the contest, finishing with 26 points while shooting 3-7 from beyond the arc. With Frank Kaminsky enduring a quieter game and Deandre Ayton still unavailable, JaVale McGee also came through with arguably his best performance this year. He dropped 19 points and secured 14 rebounds while going 9-12 from the field.

Adding another tally to their win column, the Suns now own a 9-3 record, sitting behind only the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference standings. But even though the Suns do not own that top spot, at least not yet, they might already sit above all their NBA subjects when addressing strictly the offensive side of the game.

As it stands now, the Suns average 114.2 points per 48 minutes, the second most behind the Warriors. Phoenix also possesses the league’s second highest assist to turnover ratio, slightly behind the San Antonio Spurs.

However, the Suns tops everyone when it comes to scoring efficiency. They currently own a 47.7 team field goal percentage—the league’s highest.

Mikal Bridges deserves the most praise for his hand in this team achievement. Currently shooting 54.7 percent from the field and a team-best 43.5 percent from deep, the former Wildcat only needs to clean up his free throw shooting to make a bid for the prestigious 50/40/90 club.

But still, Bridges’s efficient play goes largely supported by those around him. Down the wing, Jae Crowder seemed to turn things up over his past few games. He struggled a bit against the Rockets, but still owns a 50.0 field goal percentage across his past three games.

Coming back from injury Cameron Payne finds himself burying shots as well, shooting 46.0 percent since making his return.

Also with the highly efficient Ayton out, backup centers Frank Kaminsky and JaVale McGee have stepped up huge. Prior to his injury, Ayton shot 58.5 percent from the field. Kaminsky and McGee are more than making up for his efforts though, collectively shooting 61.2 percent.

Once Ayton comes back into the fold, this team’s scoring will only get more precise, and more difficult for opponents to trade blows with. But for now, their stance atop so many of the league’s offensive stat sheets cannot go ignored any longer.