Toronto Raptors just 1 of 5 biggest takeaways from 1st month of 2019-20 NBA season
4. The Suns are (finally) on the come up
Despite some notable additions made over the summer, not much was expected from the Phoenix Suns following a disappointing 19-win campaign last year.
However low the bar was set, it was lowered once Deandre Ayton was hit with a 25-game suspension following the season opener. And yet here Phoenix is, a modest 7-7 on the young season when it took until Dec. 17 to amass that win total last season.
New head coach Monty Williams has his team performing at both ends for the first time in a long time. Their defense has jumped 16 spots to 13th in the league, including the seventh-fewest 3-point makes allowed per game.
The combination of Williams and point guard Ricky Rubio — despite a recent absence — has breathed life into a once Devin Booker-centric offense. Phoenix is pushing the pace and launching shots from beyond the arc. The results have been 115.0 points per game and a 109.8 offensive rating, both top-10 marks in the NBA.
The gaudy numbers of Booker, once viewed in a hollow light, are now getting the appreciation they deserve on their way to victories. Aron Baynes has been the surprise glue holding the offense together after replacing Ayton in the starting lineup.
A postseason berth for the Suns will be determined by several factors, including the reintegration of their 7-foot former No. 1 pick when that time comes.
Whether or not Phoenix ends its decade-long playoff drought, however, isn’t as important as the rhythm the franchise seems to have finally discovered that has them back on the path to respectability.