The Phoenix Suns are no strangers to disrespect both from oddsmakers and the mass media. While the Valley Boys put on dazzling performances night after night, the world prefers to focus instead on mediocre teams with fans screaming “bing bong,” a Lake Show already gone wrong, and the golden boys from California.
Now, some teams undoubtedly deserve this early praise, with a strong emphasis on the Warriors. But all the while, something dangerous is brewing out in the desert that warrants our attention.
Despite their lacking much hype, the Suns find themselves off to a blazing hot start, having yet to lose a game since October 27th. They boast the league’s best record so far this month, as well as the second-highest net efficiency rating.
A year after ripping through the Western Conference to make the NBA Finals, with their young core possessing another season under their belts, and with this hot start acknowledged, the Suns deserve more recognition—and to be spoken about when discussing title contenders.
Before this season started, most outlets listed Phoenix as afterthoughts when making their predictions on who might hoist the next Larry O’Brien trophy. That was odd to hear back then, but at this point, it sounds blasphemous to say the least.
The Suns proved everyone wrong a season ago, and already find themselves doing so again. Their schedule might not boast too many difficult games or top-tier victories just yet, but the Suns still mean business.
At least at this point, today’s Phoenix team looks even better than the one which made it to the Finals last year, as well as these three teams originally picked by many to win it all.