The Phoenix Suns might be gearing up for some Summer League action - and their rookies are already saying all of the right things about getting on the court for the team - but the NBA has also announced the schedule for next season's Emirates NBA Cup. A competition that since its inception, has not been a happy hunting ground for the Suns.
They have been put into West Group A with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings. Of those four contests, they will play the Timberwolves and Jazz at home, while facing the daunting prospect of taking on the defending-champion Thunder at their place. A trip to Sacramento on the other hand? Not nearly as scary.
This is an amazing opportunity to get one over on Timberwolves.
It would be a stretch to call what has transpired between the Timberwolves and Suns across the last couple of seasons a rivalry, but that is only because Phoenix has failed to play their part. They were swept out of the postseason by Minnesota in 2024, and have lost the last four regular season meetings to them as well.
Really Anthony Edwards and company have beat down on the Suns, and another layer was added to the saga prior to Kevin Durant getting traded to the Houston Rockets. First we heard rumors that he could have headed to the Timberwolves at the deadline, before Durant himself came out and essentially said he did not want to be traded to Minnesota. The rumored package on offer? Insane.
Given that he is Edwards' idol, that had to sting some. All has not been well for the Timberwolves this offseason either - and although both Naz Reid and Julius Randle were brought back new deals - the chasing pack have overtaken the back-to-back Western Conference finalists. The Emirates NBA Cup represents a great chance for the Suns to nick a win off them as well. And also avenge this...
I didn’t know Anthony Edwards was a DX fan 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/gdI3YQIfuP
— SneakerReporter (@SneakerReporter) April 27, 2024
One area Phoenix struggled throughout the various beatdowns by Minnesota was with their lack of defense. Edwards was able to do whatever he wanted on the court, while inside the Suns didn't have an answer for Rudy Gobert. The Suns might not even be a play-in team next season, but they are going to be harder to score on.
If Devin Booker can recapture some of his offensive edge, then guys like Dillon Brooks, Ryan Dunn and rookie Khaman Maluach are going to give him more defensive help than he's had in years. It would also be nice to see this team go on a cup run and actually get out of the group stage of the competition, because a championship is not in this team's immediate future.
Really though the Suns have been a laughing stock throughout the league for a couple of years now, and some believe they still have the worst outlook out West. Beating the Timberwolves in a game that actually matters - and in front of their own fans in Footprint Center no less - isn't going to solve many of the problems for this franchise. But it would be a nice boost after a tough period.