Where Suns Fall in Updated Playoff Projections

ESPN's basketball power index has the Suns finishing with a 45-37 record, which lands them as the seventh spot — forcing Phoenix to compete in the play-in tournament:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (61-21 projected record)
2. San Antonio Spurs (55-27)
3. Denver Nuggets (51-31)
4. Houston Rockets (51-31)
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33)
6. Los Angeles Lakers (47-35)
7. Phoenix Suns (45-37)
8. Golden State Warriors (43-39)
9. Los Angeles Clippers (42-40)
10. Portland Trail Blazers (40-42)

This isn't too far off from the West's current standings, as the only differences are the Lakers/Timberwolves swapping seeds alongside the Clippers/Trail Blazers.

Phoenix certainly hopes good health is on the way to finish the season after previously struggling with injuries — most notably with Jalen Green.

In our recent end-of-season predictions, the Suns finish just slightly hire than ESPN's record projection. You can check that out here.

Head coach Jordan Ott says this final stretch of games offers excitement for his team:

"I mean, this is exciting. Like what we're playing for the next 27 games, that's exciting," Ott said before the All-Star break after losing to Oklahoma City.

"You don't want the result [of tonight] but if that doesn't motivate you — and I know it will — so that part, we're going to take this as a positive. The break is good for whatever happened, happened. And now we're going to be in some of these games where we're going to grow. Every night is going to feel like one of those playoff games when you start fighting for it, so that continues our growth.

"That's what's exciting. So again, we'd like to get our our guys, our group, healthy. I think the break helps with that. We're right there, and these guys have put themselves in a position that makes these next handful of games meaningful, and that's exciting."

Suns owner Mat Ishbia also shared similar feelings as Phoenix readies themselves for action once again — you can read more about that here.