One Win Won’t Fix Everything, But Phoenix Needed This One

The Phoenix Suns’ four-game losing streak came to a much-needed end on Thursday night. Maybe it was the defensive intensity. Maybe it was the fact that I started wearing my watch. Maybe it was because their opponent was dealing with its own rash of issues, particularly at the point guard position. Or maybe, and hear me out on this one, it was because Devin Booker was wearing a headband.

Whatever the reason, the relief was both welcomed and desperately needed, especially considering the brand of basketball the Suns had put forth through the first six games of the season.

The standings now say 2-5, but there were some noticeable adjustments in this game. While those changes might not have been directly responsible for the victory, particularly when you consider the opponent, the fact that head coach Jordan Ott was willing to make them carries some weight. Could more adjustments be made? Quite possibly. Baby steps, right? Overall, the team looked considerably more engaged, even if its weak-side defensive rotations still appeared a little out of sync and out of rhythm.

And the stats? On paper, they’re certainly impressive. Phoenix shot 17-of-30 from beyond the arc, an outstanding 56.7%, while holding the Magic to 13-of-38 from deep, or 34.2%. Of course, there’s also the fact that Phoenix built a 30-point lead at 105-75 before surrendering a 25-10 run that made things considerably more interesting than they needed to be. But you know what? We’ve had plenty of negative and frustrating things to discuss this season, so we’re going to leave that one alone. At least for now.

The hope is that this wasn’t simply a game of shooting variance for the Suns and that they can build upon what we witnessed moving forward. I remain cautious about looking at one game’s numbers and declaring that Phoenix has turned some sort of corner. Consistency is what ultimately defines success.

Thursday’s victory is encouraging, even if it doesn’t erase the concerns we’ve developed over the first seven games. We saw adjustments, better energy, and stretches of basketball that resembled what this team is supposed to be. Now comes the difficult part. Doing it again. And again. Because one good night doesn’t establish an identity, but it can provide a foundation for building one.

Of course, if the headband turns out to be the answer, I’m all for it.

Bright Side Baller Standings

For those who are new around here, you might ask yourself, “What? MC? Why?” Somehow, some way, Mariah Carey has become a symbol of how we express our collective frustration. That after a poor team-wide performance, we’d rather watch the vocal stylings of Mariah Carey and acknowledge her greatness rather than the Suns.

So once again, here’s to you Mimi.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 7 against the Magic. Here are your nominees:

Devin Booker
30 points (11-of-22, 4-of-8 3PT), 1 rebound, 8 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, +16 +/-

Miles Bridges
18 points (6-of-10, 3-of-6 3PT), 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, +12 +/-

Dillon Brooks
24 points (9-of-16, 4-of-6 3PT), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, +12 +/-

Luke Kennard
12 points (4-of-8, 3-of-6 3PT), 1 rebound, 5 assists, 0 turnovers, +8 +/-

Ryan Dunn
11 points (5-of-7, 1-of-2 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 0 turnovers, +3 +/-

Khaman Maluach
8 points (4-of-6, 0-of-0 3PT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, +13 +/-

Votin’ time!