When Perfection Isn't Good Enough
The Phoenix Suns Didn't Make the Playoffs, But They're Still Feeling Great
The NBA Playoffs kick-off today, with a March Madness style format in the first round. There will be four playoff games a day for the next eight days. 10 hours of basketball, starting at 1:30 eastern and not concluding until nearly midnight every single day. After months of waiting, it's finally time for the NBA to crown its champion.
Even with all the excitement surrounding the start of the postseason, arguably the most captivating storyline of Bubble Life will not be participating in the proceedings. The Phoenix Suns entered the NBA Restart in Orlando with a 26-39 record, six games out of a playoff spot, and many wondering why they were invited in the first place. With all the risk and uncertainty associated with trying to reconvene the athletes in a pandemic, the Suns' disappointing season was considered an afterthought and not worthy of being included in the invitation.
But Phoenix made the most of their invitation, as they were the only team to go a perfect 8-0. The bubble has been full of great stories, including Damian Lillard going HAM and TJ Warren emerging as an intriguing building block, but no team captured the imagination of NBA fans the way the Suns did during the two weeks of the seeding games. Even though their season has drawn to a close, there are many reasons for this team to be optimistic about its future. When head coach Monty Williams addressed his team at the conclusion of their final game on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks, he said they "shocked the world" and gained the respect of their peers.
Devin Booker, the team's leader, is now considered a bonafide star in the league. Draymond Green openly sung his praises on TV and probably earned a hefty fine in the process. During the eight games, he averaged a 30.5/6.0/4.9 (points, assists, rebounds), hit a cold-blooded game-winner over the Clippers to keep his team's slim playoff hopes alive, and was second in voting for the Bubble MVP. At 23 years old, Phoenix has found its franchise player to build around and is beginning to surround him with quality players that are poised to make an impact in the years to come.
The most important of those players is Deandre Ayton, who was the first player taken in the 2018 Draft. He was the franchise's first-ever top overall pick and has the talent to be a dominant inside presence to complement Booker's perimeter game. The 6'11" center has had his ups and downs during his two years in the league, including missing a coronavirus test right before a crucial game last week. But he has unequivocally been anointed as the number two alongside Booker in the Suns' long-term plans for development. If not for a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy earlier this season, Phoenix's season would probably still be in progress.
Looking ahead to next season, the Western Conference — as always — appears to be as stacked as ever, with more quality teams than playoff spots to fill. The race for the eighth spot was extraordinarily tight this season, with four teams still alive right up to the last day of the Seeding Games. With the Golden State Warriors getting Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson back from injury, they are primed to enter the conversation again after their year-long hiatus. That would make as many as 13 teams feel like a playoff spot is within reach (sorry, Sacramento and Minnesota).
Any discussion about the playoffs would need to include the Suns, who have as much positive momentum as you could possibly imagine heading into next season. Although they were perfect in Orlando, it wasn't good enough to extend their season. But that doesn't mean they have nothing to be proud about.
