In the last week, the Phoenix Suns embarked on a three-game road trip that included the Charlotte Bobcats, Orlando Magic and defending champion Miami Heat. And even though the Suns are supposed to be tanking, Phoenix managed to come out of the road trip with a 2-1 record, putting them at 7-7 on the season. These wins could come back to haunt the Suns by the time all is said and done, but with the way Gerald Green and Goran Dragic have been playing lately, it’s hard to complain too much.
G-Air-ld Green Is Money
It’s official: Gerald Green is the most pleasant surprise of the Phoenix Suns’ 2013-14 season 14 games in. And yes, that includes Eric Bledsoe’s All-Star potential, Goran Dragic’s superb leadership (more on this in a second), and Miles Plumlee as a viable starting center. Most NBA experts figured this Suns team would be nearly unwatchable, myself included. But G-Air-ld Green has made Phoenix an absolute joy to watch. I’d even argue they’re one of the ten most enjoyable teams to watch so far this year.
It’s not just about the high-flying dunks, though. Green has been playing fundamentally sound basketball. It’s true that Green has forced his shot a bit too much at times this season, but against the Magic his buckets were mostly within the context of the offense en route to 20 points (8-for-15 from the floor, 4-of-9 from deep) and eight rebounds. Green is averaging 15 points per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range on the season. Not only is he delivering on all his potential, but Green almost seems like (dare I say) a helpful asset moving forward. Plus there’s this kind of fun stuff:
White-Hot Dragon
With Eric Bledsoe still dealing with what must be the world’s worst shin bruise, Goran Dragic has been nothing short of superb for the Suns. You thought he was a valiant leader last season? Without Bledsoe he’s putting up even better numbers and the Suns are actually winning games as well. After a mixed bag against the Charlotte Bobcats (14 points, eight assists, six turnovers), Dragic rebounded with a 23-point, 13-assist effort against the Magic in another road victory.
Dragic continued his strong play into a tough road matchup with the Miami Heat, pretty much a guaranteed loss given the quality opponent and it being the second night of a back-to-back. However, the Suns hung tough with the defending champs for three and a half quarters thanks to Dragic’s 14 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. It wasn’t exactly a LeBron James statline, but the Dragon easily joined Channing Frye as one of the two most competent players on the court for the Suns.
Other Fun Facts:
Entering Phoenix’s game against the Heat, the Suns hadn’t allowed a team to shoot 50 percent from the floor all season. That streak continued when Miami shot 49.4 percent from the floor Monday night. The Heat did break Phoenix’s streak of not losing by double digits all year, however. Another fun fact: The Suns became just the second team in NBA history to win a game with only one made free throw when they beat Orlando Sunday night.
The Suns are a very weird team. They’ll compete with anybody despite the fact that they’re holding their best player out or that they’re supposed to be tanking. Entering the game, Phoenix was shooting 47.8 percent from corner threes (tied for second-best in the NBA). They were also holding opponents to 97.6 points per game, making them a top ten defense in the league. This team has made excellent progress from a year ago. On a three-game road trip, without their best all-around player, the Suns still managed to go 2-1. If only this wasn’t a tank year.