(AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens) While the Suns are re-transforming into a run-and-gun team it’s time to have a quick look at the first 1/3 of the season.
After 27 games (1/3 of 82 games) played the Suns stand at 16-11 (7th in the Conference) while last year they were 19-8. In 2007/08 Phoenix went 36-19 in the final 2/3 of the regular season to finish 22-27.
The 07/08 Suns had a tough time against Western Conference clubs and were more or less 1-5 against those teams in the same period. This season Phoenix is 3-7 vs last year’s Western Conference Playoffs teams.
I think that’s why at this time last season Suns Nation was worried and more or less unhappy just like it is now.
Last year the Suns already had winning streaks of 8 and 5 games. This season’s version only had two 3-game streaks and lost 4 in a row a month ago.
Based on this trend we could expect the Suns to win more or less 48-to-50 games this season.
This season, in the Western Conference, it’s going to be 9 teams fighting for the 8 playoffs spots, meaning that games against Dallas, Denver, Utah and maybe Portland will determine the final standings more than ever. Those will be the key to the Suns chance of making the playoffs.
The Suns are scoring 103.3 a game (3rd in the Western Conference) and allowing 102.5 (2nd worst) trailing only the amazing bunch of playground shooting guards also known as the Golden State Warriors. The 0.40 differential is the worst of any team with a winning record in the West.
The Suns are shooting an NBA best 50.5 percent from the field. It’s the 4th year in a row they are accomplishing such a feat if I’m not wrong.
The ”decent” news is that they’re allowing opponents to shoot 45.36 percent which is good for 7th best in the Conference. Last year Phoenix’s opponents shot 45.61, only slightly worse.
Phoenix is allowing too many offensive rebounds (12.1 a game) and way too many turnovers (an NBA worst 16.3) while forcing only 12.9 a game trailing only the Mavs (12.8) in the dubious ranking.
Speaking of Boards Patrol, Phoenix is grabbing 9.1 offensive rebounds per game (3rd worst in the entire Association).
So, counting rebounds and turnovers Phoenix is giving up an average of almost 7 extra possessions to their opponents.
So, the Suns are still playing a very efficient offense, bad defense and can’t control the boards. If that sounds familiar to you that is more or less the same old story. Those “:7 seconds or less teams” were in that same situation over the previous 4 years.
While we all criticized the very short rotation used by Coach D’Antoni don’t forget after the J-Rich deal the Suns are back to a 7-player rotation and the new signing coming soon (that experienced PG) won’t play more minutes than Gordan Giricek.
In other words the Suns are winning games, as simplistic as this superficial stats analysis could be, because they’re shooting better. Easy baskets come from running.
In other words: New season, same old Suns.
Yours truly, Steve Fan
