How The Phoenix Suns Became Fun Again

With the youth movement finally and fully underway, the Phoenix Suns have officially become fun again. Here’s a look at how these youngsters are stepping up.

Since the All-Star break, the Phoenix Suns have officially become fun again.

It sounds silly to say about a team with the second-worst record in the Western Conference and the third-worst record in the NBA. It may seem hasty to make such a declaration for an organization heading for its franchise-record seventh straight season without the playoffs.

But as unexpected as it might be, it’s 100 percent true: The Phoenix Suns are fun to watch for the first time since Goran Dragic and that ragtag 2013-14 team won 48 games and barely missed the postseason.

Since All-Star weekend, the Suns are only 3-4 in their seven games. They’ve also been surpassed by the Los Angeles Lakers in the tank race, and for a team with no hope of making the playoffs, falling from the projected No. 2 overall pick to the No. 3 overall pick stings a little bit.

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However, the Suns also put together an undeniably entertaining three-game win streak at home in that span, beating two surefire playoff teams and being competitive in every game except an 18-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

They were one missed Devin Booker free throw away from beating the Chicago Bulls, they fell to the Milwaukee Bucks by four on the road and they barely lost to the Washington Wizards by three on Tuesday night.

Believe it or not, Phoenix should be one of your top NBA League Pass teams right now, and it’s all thanks to the youth movement.

Before the All-Star break, head coach Earl Watson was criticized by and large for playing aging veterans like Tyson Chandler and P.J. Tucker too much in losing efforts. But Tucker was traded to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline, and Watson and the front office decided to shift their focus heading into the season’s home stretch.

Since then, the Suns haven’t played Chandler or Brandon Knight a single minute. Alex Len moved into the starting lineup, Alan Williams has seen ample time as his backup, Tyler Ulis is now the first guard off the bench and even D-League frequenter Derrick Jones Jr. is playing rotational minutes.

Veterans Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa anchor Phoenix’s new second unit that’s taken teams by surprise, but outside of them and the 27-year-old Eric Bledsoe, the Suns’ new 10-man rotation now includes seven players who are 24 or younger and three rookies (four when Dragan Bender returns).

https://twitter.com/Suns/status/837859796967555073

It’s a situation unlike any other in the NBA right now, but the funny thing is, Phoenix’s youth movement is not only more fun to watch, but it’s also made for a more competitive team.

"“We found a bunch of young guys who are hungry, play with a lot of passion,” Watson said. “I really wouldn’t say we found anything; we knew it was there. It’s a matter of getting them an opportunity to play and they picked up on it really quickly.”"

With so much youth on the court, it’s not uncommon for the Suns to have full five-man lineups who are all in some stage of learning — including Bledsoe, who is learning how to be a more vocal leader with Tucker gone and Chandler on the bench.

With that inexperience comes a need to establish an identity and avoid being bullied by the more veteran, talented teams.

Watson has talked endlessly on the subject, and so far, it appears that identity revolves around not backing down from anyone. This often involves scrappiness, chippy play and yes, plenty of trash talk that has led to more than one scuffle over the last few weeks. The Suns have rapidly become the league’s annoying little brother.

"“Our players stick up for each other, they fight for each other, they’re fun to watch,” he said. “You have a point throughout the game where, if you’re in the arena, it’s going to be amazing blocks, great steals, dunks. It almost sends chills through your body to see how they transform so quickly to get back into games. So it’s a good thing happening. We just want to make sure we keep players out of foul trouble, not ejections.”"

Though Watson has deflected questions about whether the shift to the youth movement came down directly from management, the inherent risk in making that switch — especially in a league where job security is fleeting — has been offset by the progress these hungry players have shown.

The youth movement in Phoenix is fully engaged, so it’s time to take a look at how the Suns have become so much fun again and what specific components are contributing the most.