The Suns’ season came to a close on Monday night as the NBA-best Thunder took care of eighth-seeded Phoenix in a clean sweep.
Phoenix’s offseason was marked by the Kevin Durant trade, where the star forward was sent to the Rockets after two-plus seasons in the desert. Little was thought of the Suns’ return for Durant, which was highlighted by Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and Khaman Maluach, the No. 10 pick in last summer's draft.
Entering the season, this was thought to be something of a transition year for the Suns with little expectations. With Brooks and Green in the fold, Devin Booker was able to keep Phoenix competitive and as a playoff team without Durant by his side. At one point, Phoenix was 31–20 and looked like it could be a pesky opponent in the playoffs. After a lackluster finish to the regular season in the crowded Western Conference left them in seventh place entering the postseason, the Suns found themselves in a play-in tournament elimination game to keep the surprising year alive.
The eighth seed is a difficult spot, especially out West. The defending champion Thunder remain class of the league and although the Eastern Conference's top-seeded Pistons are on the ropes against the Magic, the No. 8 seed in the West is a dreaded outcome. Oklahoma City proved that to be true as it swept Phoenix with a 131–122 victory on Monday.
With the Suns’ season now over, it’s time to look back at the surprising year for Phoenix before a busy offseason. Below is a look back at what was for the Suns with a grade for both the regular and postseason:
Suns regular-season grade: B
- Record: 45–37
- Western Conference finish: Seventh
Phoenix was a pleasant surprise this season. The franchise parted with Kevin Durant over the offseason after the star forward wanted out. The Suns returned Green and Brooks in the trade and both players helped Phoenix finish 45–37 over the regular season and seventh place in the West. There weren't many expectations for the franchise once the Durant saga came to a close, but Brooks and Green were solid adds as complementary pieces alongside Booker. Brooks had a career year offensively as he averaged 20.2 points per game while Booker continued as a top-10 scorer across the league with 26.1 points a night.
Booker, Green and Brooks all remain on the books next season unless general manager Brian Gregory decides to blow it up by trading any of the franchise's key pieces. If that's not the case, it's all about how he can build the roster into a contender in the stacked Western Conference. Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin were nice adds as depth pieces this season. We'll see if the Suns can retain them or make other moves to beef up the roster in hopes of aiding a push up the standings.
Suns postseason grade: C-
It’s tough to assess the Suns’ performance in the playoffs as they had to take on the defending champion Thunder in the first round. That said, it would have been nice to see Phoenix take at least a game even if it wouldn’t have truly mattered.
If we’re including the play-in tournament, Phoenix deserves some credit for making it out. The Suns lost a close game to the Trail Blazers to open the play-in, then Phoenix bounced back to eliminate the Warriors and earn the final spot in the Western Conference field. The NBA may want to consider adding a play-in tournament MVP award for how good Green was over the two play-in games. He dropped 36 points in the win over the Warriors and somehow outperformed Steph Curry in an elimination game. No matter the state of Golden State's roster at the end of this season, any performance that keeps Curry in check deserves some credit.
Still, it's tough to give any team anything better than a below average grade after a first-round sweep.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Suns Season Grade: Evaluating Phoenix’s Year After Tough First-Round Sweep to Thunder.
