Suns News: Weeks 24 (3/30 - 4/5) and 25 (4/6 - 4-12)

[Superbone]

I think they got the quarterly rankings right but not the summary. Suns need to find a 4th quarter offense again and get back to their all-out hustling ways on defense. Haven’t stopped anybody for a while.

From The Athletic:

17. Phoenix Suns (45-37)

Last ranking: 17
In the last week: L vs HOU, W vs DAL, L at LAL, W at OKC
Offensive rating: 114.2 (17th place)
Defensive rating: 112.9 (ninth place)

First quarter: B
Second quarter: B-
Third quarter: B-
Fourth quarter: C

The Suns exceeded all reasonable expectations, and they’ve held seventh place every day since Jan. 23. Now, they have to show that their offense can come through against the Trail Blazers to earn a meeting with the Spurs. The Suns split their final 20 games but finished with a top-10 defense that featured the kind of ballhawking that would be critical against Portland in particular.

[Superbone]

More on the guy many want to trade:

[Superbone]

@SunsAreBetter
Rasheer Fleming finished his rookie season with a team-best NETRTG of 6.1.His DFG% of 41.2% not only ranked 1st on the Suns, but 9th in the entire NBA (min. 200 DFGA). A breakout rookie season for the 31st pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.

[ShelC]

https://www.basketball-reference.com/te ... /2026.html

Final season stats are interesting - we were 28th in overall FG%, 12th in 3pt%. 28th in FTAs, 4th in OR but 29th in DRB, 27th in AST but 4th in ST.

Defensively we were 15th in Defensive FG% but 2nd in Defensive 3pt% and 3rd in creating TOs.

So we definitely won those hustle stats like Offensive Rebounds, Steals, closing out on 3s, and creating TOs. We just weren't good enough scoring or defending inside the 3pt line.

[Furlanfufi]

[ShelC]

I guess the consistency is good but we were so close to that 5-6 seed.

[Mori Chu]

Man that animated chart of the season standings is really interesting. Despite how much it felt like we were up-and-down this season, we basically sat at #7 for almost the entire year. Funny what a bit of perspective can do.

[Superbone]

How Devin Booker’s visits to this art icon’s ‘hole into space’ transformed his career
Suns star Devin Booker explains how his bond with renowned artist James Turrell has helped him on the basketball court.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/719109 ... -ios-share

[Superbone]

Suns star Devin Booker lives for big moments, but Tuesday’s Play-In loss was head-scratching
Devin Booker had a rare bad night at the free-throw line and shot just 1 for 7 in the second half as the Portland Trail Blazers came into Phoenix and won the West's No. 7 seed.

By Doug Haller
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/719815 ... -ios-share

PHOENIX — Postseason basketball does not always make sense, does not always follow the expected script. With just more than two minutes left in Tuesday night’s NBA Play-In Tournament contest, Devin Booker dribbled three times, looked at the basket — and watched his free throw bounce off the rim.

That was one of five free throws Booker missed in the Phoenix Suns’ 114-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at Mortgage Matchup Center. Of everything that unfolded in a game of breakneck swings, this was the most confusing, simply because Booker does not often miss.

And, also, he lives for these moments...Read more