Phoenix Suns: 5 takeaways from Week 1 of 2018-19 season

After starting the 2018-19 NBA season with a 1-3 record, here’s what’s stood out the most for the Phoenix Suns under their new head coach in Week 1.

Remember that season opener? Much like the first week for the 2017-18 regular season, the first week of the Phoenix Suns‘ 2018-19 schedule feels like a lifetime ago. Just eight days ago, the Suns were celebrating a 121-100 opening night win over the Dallas Mavericks where seemingly everything went right.

Devin Booker played the role of hero, dropping a 35-7-4 stat line with 19 of his points coming in a dominant fourth quarter. Deandre Ayton looked fantastic in his debut. Trevor Ariza was a terrific two-way presence, the Suns knocked down 19 3-pointers and the offense was humming with 35 assists to only 11 turnovers.

Since then, however, Phoenix has come crashing down to earth with three straight losses against playoff-caliber teams. They were dismantled by the Denver Nuggets in a 28-point loss, giving up a 35-point triple double on a perfect 11-of-11 shooting for Nikola Jokic. They were smashed by the Golden State Warriors by 20, and got routed again Wednesday night by an 0-3 Los Angeles Lakers squad.

Once again, a date with the Phoenix Suns feels like the remedy that cures whatever ails an opposing team. Four games is a small sample size, but we’re already seeing some early trends in the 2018-19 campaign. Here are the five biggest takeaways so far.