The Phoenix Suns have continued to preach continuity as their secret weapon to remain competitive in the Western Conference, but that won't help them when the best teams in the NBA that have more top end talent come to visit.
Continuity can't cross divide in class between Suns and top teams
Great as it is to return most of the same core - plus the addition of Miles Bridges - as well as head coach Jordan Ott becoming the first leading man in four years to last more than one season in The Valley, that won't stop Nikola Jokic from hitting them with a triple-double.
Having their head coach, General Manager (Brian Gregory) and owner (Mat Ishbia) all have strong Michigan ties to one another won't be any use with Luka Doncic is breaking down double teams and hanging 50 on them either.
Continuity will help Phoenix remain competitive and perhaps even push them to win more than the 45 games of last time out. As long as they are again built on a top 10 defense and can get career years out of role players such as Jordan Goodwin, they are going to be in the mix.
But the sad reality is that the front office is kidding themselves by telling everybody that Devin Booker and a group he has largely played with before is going to get them beyond the opening round of the playoffs.
For those who argue that progress is not linear and you have to fail before you get over the hump, you are absolutely correct. Only that is not a luxury the Suns have as the time to win with Booker approaching 30-years-old is now and they continue to recklessly trade away their future.
Suns must make tough decisions after this season
The best case scenario for this group is making the Western Conference Finals, and even that is an extremely generous outlook.
If they are beaten badly at that point, or more likely beforehand, then they have to get real about continuity having taken them as far as it possibly can. This is the reason you sign Collin Gillespie to that team-friendly deal, while Dillon Brooks should also be made available at the right price. A major roster shakeup will be required.
A wise person once said that only about 10-12 players in the NBA truly matter, and without one of them you have no hope of winning a championship. Booker is right on the bubble of that exclusive list, and he does not have close to the help as some of the other guys who do feature.
Time to get real about just how critical continuity is in Phoenix.
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