As the NBA season approaches its halfway mark, the Phoenix Suns find themselves in a somewhat turbulent state. While not a complete nightmare, the team’s performance has been far from stellar, and a swift turnaround is imperative with players getting healthy.
Sure, they are a game above .500, placing them 8th in the Western Conference, but given the star talent that they possess, anywhere short of the top 5 seems like a letdown.
Not to mention, the Suns record, even as it stands, can be a bit deceiving. Against teams that hold a record of .500 or above, the Suns are a disheartening 5-12. Meanwhile, against below-average teams, they are 14-6.
Of course, it is expected that a team has a worse record against good teams, but not to this extent, and not if you are considered a ‘playoff-caliber’ club.
To add insult to injury, the road ahead doesn’t promise an easy comeback, as Phoenix faces the second toughest schedule in the NBA, with an average opponent winning percentage of .533.
Yet, despite the hurdles, head coach Frank Vogel remains extremely optimistic about the Suns’ future dominance. Speaking to Duane Rankin at Azcentral, Vogel expressed his strong belief in the team’s capabilities: “I’ve been on teams where I didn’t believe we were going to get it.” “I believe we are going to be dominant and we are going to get it and it’s going to come. I have a strong belief in that.”
The Suns will be pretty much fully healthy against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. This season the Lakers have completely dominated this matchup, winning all three meetings.
However, the Lakers‘ recent performance, marked by a 4-9 record over their last 13 games, has leveled their overall standing at .500, offering the Suns a chance to initiate a turnaround.
Tipoff for this close-to-must win matchup for Phoenix is scheduled for 8 PM.
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