The NBA's regular season is coming to a close, and the Phoenix Suns are not where they thought they'd be in the Western Conference. So much so that at this late stage of what has been an underwhelming campaign, there is no guarantee they'll even make it to the playoffs.
Instead a route through the play-in tournament is looking increasingly more likely - and given that this roster had championship aspirations to begin the season - it is not good enough. Try as owner Mat Ishbia has to spend a ton of money to build a winner, that run to the 2021 NBA Finals has never felt further away.
If the Suns do make the postseason though, it is clear that some matchups will present a tougher problem than others.
For example the Suns have had trouble against the Los Angeles Lakers this season, dropping three games to them before winning the last two meetings (that fifth meeting coming as a result of the in-season tournament). The size of the Lakers - and having two superstars that they can't contain and match up with in LeBron James and Anthony Davis - being a large part of the reason why.
Then there is the defending champion Denver Nuggets, who the Suns have somehow beaten the last two times they've faced. Both victories coming in the last month as well. That's a nice boost for this group, but we also must not forget this team has also lost to the San Antonio Spurs three times this season. It's obvious however that these three opponents present nightmare matchup problems.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
The surging Minnesota Timberwolves are probably the most obvious answer on this list because at 51-23 so far this season, they're a problem for pretty much anybody. Not only do the Timberwolves have a superstar in Anthony Edwards that they just won't be able to stop, but they also have two centers in Rudy Gobert and Karl Anthony-Towns who can have serious joy here.
Anthony-Towns is currently injured - and he may not be back for the postseason at all - but in a hypothetical matchup he would make it hell for Suns' big man Jusuf Nurkic. Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker would also take turns trying to slow Devin Booker down. Kevin Durant can score over anybody, but Towns if healthy could use his big body to try and slow him down.
The Timberwolves also have a veteran point guard in Mike Conley who can continue to set the table for his teammates, while Naz Reid is the kind of player off the bench who would simply destroy Drew Eubanks or Bol Bol if it came to it. They would also surely feast on the turnover issues that have plagued the Suns, and get out in transition to punish them for throwing the ball away.
At 108.2, the Timberwolves have the best defensive rating in the whole league this season. The Suns on the other hand score 11.4 points each night through midrange shots, which leads the league. A terrible combination if you're the Suns, who have shown this season that despite boasting Durant, Booker, Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen, they are unable to break teams down. Advantage Wolves.