Why are the Suns 14-3? And, why are they so good?

The Suns are playing some amazing basketball right now, and it’s somewhat baffling to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. In fact, life has been noticeably better and I’ve generally been in a fantastic mood since late October. But there isn’t a single person out there that can tell me that they aren’t surprised the Suns are 14-3 and playing so well.

Their leading scorer is averaging less than 20 points a game, they don’t have a completely dominant player like Lebron or Wade, and they aren’t known as a masterful defensive team. The Suns are a group of guys that love playing with each other, have a team-first mindset, and have bought into the idea that playing hard will get them wins. That’s fine, but can anyone honestly tell me when those qualities have translated into a team playing so well in the NBA? College, maybe – but those descriptors are used few and far between in professional sports today.

Perhaps what is most confusing is that there weren’t any significant changes to the team to speak of in terms of personnel. Sure, they signed Nash, Hill, and Frye but it’s not like the Celtics getting Rasheed Wallace or the Blazers getting Andre Miller – the off-season included (what we thought at the time) to be a couple tweaks and minor additions. However, you could make a case that the Suns are playing better than any of those teams, and even better than any team in the league.

Why?

I don’t have the answer, but I have a few ideas.

Idea #1: The Suns are happy again.

There is a noticeable change in the Suns demeanor this season. There are more smiles, more high-fives, more laughs. It certainly helps that they are winning but their body language is much different. They are having fun again, and enjoying basketball. They are playing as a collective unit and sacrificing individual goals for the betterment of the team. Last year, this didn’t happen. They weren’t having fun and they weren’t focused on the team aspect of things. Could this be why they are playing so well? Can’t hurt.

Idea #2: Gentry is a phenomenal coach.

Maybe Alvin Gentry is a better coach than even we Suns fans give him credit for. He’s a hero after turning the Suns around from the Porter fiasco, but it’s not because he gave the team back to Nash. Heck, we’re not even playing that fast. It’s that he’s inspired a confidence in his entire team. He’s instilled a belief in his guys that if they play hard and commit on the defensive end of the floor, good things will happen. There isn’t an arrogance in his coaching like D’Antoni had – it’s a disciplined, tough, gritty attitude and the Suns have bought it.

Idea #3: The competition has gotten worse.

Truthfully, there really aren’t many great teams in the NBA this season. Hell, there aren’t many good teams. Could it be that the Suns are better by default? Maybe. The Hornets aren’t going anywhere, the Clippers are disappointing, San Antonio is showing signs of ageing, and there just aren’t that many powerhouses like there were. Still, this means nothing if the Suns don’t play well and win the games they are supposed to.

Idea #4: Shaq is gone.

No matter what your feelings are regarding Shaq, there is no denying that he wanted the ball and a certain amount of touches and shots each game. Even having that thought and verbalizing it hurt the Suns as there was a hesitation in every player’s mind that Shaq needs to get the ball soon, or else the locker room might be unhappy. This leads to an unspoken (or spoken) division between the contrasting mindsets and it showed on the court. This season, there isn’t a requirement or mandatory amount of touches a player requests since Nash is distributing the ball so well amongst the entire team. Maybe it’s unfair to blame Shaq for all the troubles last season, but the correlation between the Suns winning and Shaq being gone is hard to ignore.

Idea #5: The Suns are better than we gave them credit for last season.

Just because the Suns missed the playoffs last year didn’t make them a bad team per se. They still almost won 50 games and the competition in the West was as fierce as it’s ever been. Coupled with the coaching and style changes it just was a difficult year for the organization and fans all around. Gentry brought a new light and hope to the Suns future with his change in style, but it wasn’t enough to muster a playoff birth. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise for the Suns. Would the Suns have made as many moves had they made the playoffs? Would even a first round exit mean that Shaq was still here? Would Nash be here? Who knows, and those questions don’t really matter now. But it’s clear that with just a few minor tweaks, the Suns are rolling and confident.

I tend to lean toward a combination of all of these ideas as to why the Suns are playing so well. Honestly, there isn’t one right answer. Maybe the better question should be – damn, isn’t it good to be debating why the Suns are 14-3 and playing so well?

What do you think? Why are the Suns playing so well?

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