Phoenix Suns: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 NBA season

The Phoenix Suns finished with the worst record in the league during the 2017-18 NBA season. Here are five takeaways from a severely disappointing year.

It’s finally over. It’s done. Like Frodo ridding himself of the Ring, the Phoenix Suns have cast the 2017-18 NBA season into the fires of Mount Arizona In April, shedding a heavy burden and looking toward the future of The Timeline with weary hope.

In 50 years as a franchise, the Suns have never won a championship despite being one of the NBA’s five winningest franchises of all time. They’ve never selected first overall in the NBA Draft either, but exactly 49 years after posting the worst record in franchise history back in 1969, the Suns have secured the best odds at doing so, bookending their first half-century with the second-worst record in franchise history at 21-61.

In the 2017-18 campaign, the Suns lost their season opener by 48 points at home. Their head coach was fired three games into the season and their best player (at the time) told the world “I dont wanna be here” not long after, prompting a trade that immediately sunk any hopes of a 30-win season.

Phoenix lost four games by at least 40 points this season, matching the franchise’s total for 40-point losses over its first 49 years of existence. Their -9.4 point differential ranked dead last in the association, as did their offensive rating (100.8) and defensive rating (110.6).

That’s not to say the season came without some positives though. Despite missing 28b games, Devin Booker blossomed in his third season. After an ugly start to his first NBA season, Josh Jackson turned things around to look like a top-five rookie, and injuries clearly prevented this young Suns team from reaching a more respectable win total.

Heading into the most important offseason in franchise history, it’s time to take on last look back on the 2017-18 season with five key takeaways.