The Phoenix Suns currently have the fourth-most double digit wins in the NBA this season, with seven wins by 10 or more to their name. This fact would have seemed like pure fantasy only a month ago. And yet, that number proves that the Suns are exactly the kind of competitive and winning team this fanbase had been asking for.
Headed into this season, the expectations in Phoenix were understandably low. After an offseason where you lost high-level shot creators like Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, it's normal to think that performance could suffer. But this team took all the offseason disrespect personally, and things couldn't have turned out better to this point in the year.
The truth is that while guys like Durant and Beal are among the best at what they do, their skillsets overlapped quite a bit with Devin Booker's and created something of a logjam for the coaching staff to manage. Those three being on the floor at the same time led to a lot of situations where Phoenix was left trying to fill in the departments of perimeter defense, rebounding, and playmaking with just two other players.
The Phoenix Suns are now a much more well-balanced team
Now that the aforementioned two scorers are out of the picture, the Suns have been able to run much more diverse lineups that allow them to play a more balanced and sustainable style. This team is now succeeding in a lot more of the areas that produce winning basketball.
Phoenix is taking and making more three-point shots this year than last, as a result of having more minutes available to hand out to sharpshooters like Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale. Part of the reason they're producing more three-point looks is their improved rebounding, which comes as a result of being able to play more spry and athletic guys that can go to the glass.
Bringing it all together is the Suns' defense. After finishing last season 28th in defensive efficiency, they're currently ranked 12th in the association due in part to the defensive intensity of Dillon Brooks. He's helped bring some life and fight to Phoenix's approach on that end of the floor, and the results speak for themselves.
The Suns' 9-6 overall record and especially their seven wins by double digits are major indicators that things are really clicking for this group right now. Taking down the teams you should beat is the mark of a competent team that's taking themselves seriously, and that's where we've seen such a shift from this time last year. Mat Ishbia said before the season that he wanted to see competitiveness, and that's exactly what we've been getting.