Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns entered the NBA’s bubble expected to be little more than warmup fodder for the league’s best teams. It turns out they’ve been anything but.
The NBA’s bubble has been full of amazing stories. TJ Warren has lit the world on fire. Luka Doncic has had two of the best games of his illustrious career. And yet, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns are the stories that overwhelm them all.
When the league announced that 22 teams would be invited to the Disney bubble, it seemed like a waste of time and hotel space. Sure, the NBA wanted to make sure to get as much Zion Williamson action as possible so it made some sense to expand the attending group of teams to get the New Orleans Pelicans in the mix, but why on earth would the 26-39 Phoenix Suns warrant an invite?
It turns out the Pelicans were absolutely not ready for the moment, but the Suns have stepped up in an incredible way.
On Monday, the Suns wrapped up their sixth straight win in the bubble and their 6-0 record has them just a half-game out of the Western Conference’s ninth seed. If they can get into ninth, they would force a play-in series against the eighth seed. They would be at a disadvantage, needing to win two games to get into the playoffs while the eighth seed would only need one win, but a disadvantaged shot at the playoffs is better than no shot at all.
Let’s take a look at what’s been so special about the bubble Phoenix Suns.