Mikal Bridges’ numbers are underwhelming at first glance, but he’s the linchpin behind the Phoenix Suns’ recent success and their long-term goals. In most cases, a 3-and-D wing averaging fewer than seven points a night and shooting below 30 percent from 3-point range would be considered wholly underwhelming, and that’s before adding the designation of
Phoenix Suns
Yes, the Phoenix Suns are experimenting with Deandre Ayton and Aron Baynes in the starting lineup. Is Ayton at the 4 viable or even survivable? In the 3-point heavy, pace-and-space NBA, traditional positions of old are fading into legend. Switchability is king, seven-footers who can do more than just post up are labeled as mythical
The Kings, Suns and Timberwolves are all theoretically in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference. Who needs that spot the most? So it looks like the NBA draft lottery works! Three teams who miserably tripped over themselves en route to top-10 picks repeatedly over the course of a decade are right in the playoff
The Phoenix Suns are still well ahead of where many expected, but could be even better if not for injuries, suspension and brutal growing pains. How this young team handles adversity will define what comes next. The Phoenix Suns are better than their 11-15 record. They just might have a tough time proving it as
The Phoenix Suns were widely criticized for signing Ricky Rubio over the summer, but he’s already paying dividends for one the NBA’s biggest pleasant surprises. When the Phoenix Suns gave Ricky Rubio a three-year, $51 million contract in free agency this summer, pundits put the “critical” in “hypocritical” with their evaluations. Although the Suns had
With each passing day, it becomes more and more apparent how much pressure Deandre Ayton faces once he’s finally able to return for the Phoenix Suns. For a guy who hasn’t played since the team’s season opener, Deandre Ayton remains the hot topic of conversation among the Phoenix Suns fanbase. That’s typical for any No.
It seems silly this outcome was ever in question, but in leading the surprising Phoenix Suns, Devin Booker is proving he’s already an NBA superstar. For the first four seasons of Devin Booker‘s career, questions persisted about whether he was really a winning player. Sure, he could score, but was he anything more than a
Our writers answer some of the most interesting questions of the young NBA season, including Brandon Ingram‘s finishing and more. 1. More surprising — Brandon Ingram shooting 48.6 percent on 3s or Brandon Ingram shooting 66 percent on drives? Louis Zatzman (@LouisZatzman): A hot, early-season shooting percentage is like a monogamous relationship; it takes forever
Losing Deandre Ayton should’ve been a death sentence for the Phoenix Suns, but instead, Aron Baynes has stepped in perfectly for the NBA’s most surprising team. When Deandre Ayton‘s 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s Anti-Drug Policy was announced, it felt like more of the same misery that’s hovered over the Phoenix Suns for the
From potential training camp cut to backup point guard and late-game finisher, Jevon Carter has been an unexpected revelation for the Phoenix Suns. Four games is a microscopic sample size, and the Phoenix Suns still have a long way to go in proving their promising start is for real. But for Jevon Carter, the team’s
The Phoenix Suns just can’t have nice things, as star center Deandre Ayton is facing a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s Anti-Drug policy. It legitimately took less than 24 hours. Not even a full day after the Phoenix Suns enjoyed one of their most encouraging wins in recent memory, a 124-95 thrashing of the
For the second year in a row, the Phoenix Suns opened their season with a dominant home win. Here’s why this time actually feels different. Last year, the Phoenix Suns opened their 2018-19 season at home with an impressive 21-point win over the Dallas Mavericks. With a new head coach at the helm, veterans on
Frank Kaminsky was one of the biggest bright spots of the preseason for the Phoenix Suns, but will that momentum carry over to the regular season? After spending most of the 2018-19 campaign on the Charlotte Hornets’ bench, Frank Kaminsky was in need of a change of scenery. Ironically enough, he found it by heading
Coming off a 19-win season and a summer of change, how should the rebuilding Phoenix Suns define success for the 2019-20 NBA season? The Phoenix Suns enter the 2019-20 NBA season in a different, yet extremely familiar position: coming off a summer of incremental changes framed as a reboot, hoping this time will be different.
Ricky Rubio is not a perfect fit on the Phoenix Suns, but after Media Day, it’s abundantly clear his impact will be greater than most people expect. The Phoenix Suns haven’t had a legitimate starting-caliber point guard for the better part of two years, but when they signed Ricky Rubio to a three-year, $51 million
Heading into his second NBA season, projections for Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton are all over the map. After Media Day, the picture remains foggy. There’s no doubt that second-year center Deandre Ayton is in store for a big season in 2019-20. After posting 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game on 58.5 percent shooting
Media Day is always about optimism, muscle watch and other false hope storylines. Instead, let’s take a look at 10 random things from the Phoenix Suns’ 2019-20 Media Day you might have missed. Like most of the league, the Phoenix Suns held their annual Media Day for the upcoming 2019-20 NBA season on Monday. This
With the 2019-20 NBA season less than a month away, we’re exploring the most interesting players for each team in the Pacific Division. We’re now less than a month away from the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. Coming off one of the most interesting offseasons in recent memory, it feels like an appropriate time
The Phoenix Suns have been an NBA laughingstock for nearly a decade. Despite an odd offseason, this team may actually wind up being among the league’s most improved. For the better part of a decade now, the Phoenix Suns have been one of the NBA’s biggest jokes. They’ve missed the playoffs nine straight years, failed
Ricky Rubio’s never gonna turn into the player he was supposed to be, and that makes him the perfect fit in Phoenix. The Suns quickly addressed their biggest need at the onset of free agency, signing Ricky Rubio to a three-year, $51 million contract. Rubio will start his ninth season in the NBA on his