The Phoenix Suns are rolling into Christmas, which many see as the unofficial start of the NBA season with the end of the NFL on the horizon, and they are running out of steam.
The regular season can be brutal, and although Phoenix has defied expectations in a big way, they simply don't have the depth to play that style of basketball across an 82 game season.
Suns being competitive is Christmas miracle fans should be thankful for
Yes despite dropping to 15-13 and having lost a couple of close ones recently to the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, this season is going so much better than anybody could have predicted.
At this point there are literally no drawbacks to what we have seen, and stealing head coach Jordan Ott from the Cleveland Cavaliers was the first piece to this exciting puzzle.
The schedule for the Phoenix Suns the last 4 weeks has been insane 😳
— Brandon Awadis (@brawadis) December 21, 2025
12 out of 13 games against teams over .500
All games vs Western Conference teams
They went 6-7 over this stretch. Thoughts? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/eAjXpPazt0
The roster has bought into the way he wants them to play, while Devin Booker has thrived as the main man in The Valley again. He has had his shooting struggles, but he is comfortable with it being his team once more.
Ironically Kevin Durant is now discovering with the Houston Rockets just how hospitable Booker and the Suns' organization was when he was in town.
Dillon Brooks has been everything the Suns have needed as a regular season emotional battery, while the team has been competitive without Jalen Green for essentially the whole campaign so far.
They are an above average group defensively, while when it comes to scoring they're only just off the pace of the middle of the pack. The kind of combination that explains their ability to beat all manner of opponents.
General Manager Brian Gregory is quietly working out, while owner Mat Ishbia has changed his approach for the better as well. Even veteran additions such as Jordan Goodwin have worked out.
About the only drawback here are the three draft picks that franchise selected during the offseason. None have been able to contribute in a meaningful way, but that is partly on coach Ott.
He trusts veterans to win him games and would rather the youngsters grow and make mistakes in the G League. That is not a bad strategy, and hopefully it will begin to pay off in 2026.
Really though if you'd told Suns fans they'd be sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference right now they would have taken it, because it is clear they've got their team back.
Only as the Suns gear up to once again take on the Lakers on Christmas Eve, they are way ahead of schedule and have given the fanbase the perfect festive present in the process.