Head Coach: Monty Williams (1st Season)
Record: 26-39 (13th in Western Conference)
All-Stars: 1 (Devin Booker – 1st)
Scoring Leaders: Devin Booker (26.1 PPG), Deandre Ayton (19.0 PPG), Kelly Oubre Jr. (18.7 PPG)
Rebounding Leaders: Ayton (12.0 RPG), Oubre Jr. (6.4 RPG), Dario Saric (5.9 RPG)
Assists Leaders: Ricky Rubio (8.9 APG), Booker (6.6 APG), Frank Kaminsky (2.2 APG)
Offense: 112.6 Points Scored/Game (14th)
Defense: 113.9 Points Allowed/Game (21st)
Key Wins: Clippers (130-122, Oct. 26), Celtics (123-119, Jan. 18), Rockets (127-91, Feb. 7) Jazz (131-111, Feb. 24), Bucks (140-131, Mar. 8)
Season Summary: Sliding into the final spot in the Western Conference, the rebuilding Suns find themselves in a difficult position to realistically make a run at the two-team play-in. They’ve found their franchise piece in Devin Booker, who is top 10 in the league in scoring. He also has improved his ability to get to the line, standing second in the league in free throw percentage (91.6%). Booker made his first All-Star appearance as a replacement for Portland’s Damian Lillard. The Suns are hopeful the high-volume shooting guard can be a staple in All-Star Weekends to come. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, another bright spot in only 30 games this season, is averaging a double-double (19.0 PPG & 12.0 RPG). In the month of February, Ayton dropped 21.5 PPG and shot 57.7% from the field.
The Suns began the season on a hot streak when they started off 7-5 in their first 12 games, but still dropped a handful against the league’s best. Ayton’s 25-game suspension stalled the Suns’ potential but brought to light the value of Aron Baynes. The Australian big man started the first 12 of 13 games of the season, shooting 56% from the field and 43% from three while also averaging 14.5 PPG. Ricky Rubio, the third leading assist-getter in the league (8.9 APG), provided necessary ball movement and veteran leadership for a team that struggled to create outside of Booker’s isolation game. In the final 10 games before the break, Rubio posted assist totals of 9, 11, 11, 10, 13, 8, 10, 10, 13 and 9. With so many teams ahead of them in the West standings, everything will need to fall into place for Phoenix to make a run at the No. 8 seed. But with Booker, Ayton, and Rubio all healthy, they have the pieces to make a go at it.
Memorable Moment: It may have come early in the season, but on October 26, the Suns shocked the league by handing the Los Angeles Clippers their first loss of the year on a back-to-back. With the win, the Suns snapped a 12-game losing streak to the Clippers. Booker went 50% from the floor on 10-for-20 shooting for a total of 30 PTS. The Suns shot nearly 40% from behind the arc while Aron Baynes, Kelly Oubre Jr., Dario Saric and Frank Kaminsky added 14+ PTS each. The victory happened without second-year player Deandre Ayton and key facilitator Ricky Rubio. It was an early statement win for new coach Monty Williams.
Player To Watch: Devin Booker – If the Suns are going to make a playoff run, it’ll be in large part up to Booker, who ranks 10th in the league in scoring. Suns fans know full well he can catch fire like few players in the league — he is the youngest player in NBA history to score 70 in a game, after all — and if he can get hot in Orlando, it could carry Phoenix to a playoff berth for the first time since 2010.
