The Phoenix Suns Are Out Of This World

If 68 wins, two double-digit winning streaks, and the best record in the NBA weren’t enough, the Phoenix Suns are currently on a victory lap. Coming into this series with the Mavericks, I expected things to be competitive. Instead, it’s been anything but.

Dallas hasn’t played all that poorly in this series. It’s just that the Suns are better. From their mismatch hunting on offense to a swarming defense, they’re a nightmare to face off again. Here’s why the Phoenix Suns are out of this world.

---

Luka Doncic Hunting

There are a plethora of superstars in the NBA who aren’t great defenders. Defense isn’t a prerequisite to excellence. With that being said, opposing teams don’t abuse those players that much. Or, they won’t expose them like Phoenix did to Luka in game two.

In the midst of their Chris Paul-fueled blitz, Luka was the target. Phoenix wasn’t hiding their intentions. Whoever Doncic was guarding, the Suns would use as a screener to spring Chris Paul. To say it worked would be an understatement. The Suns shot 84% from the field in the fourth for a reason.

Doncic guarded 19 on-ball screens in the second half – the third most of any half in his career. Phoenix averaged 1.81 points per possession whenever Doncic was guarding the screener. That is the highest efficiency allowed by a single defender in any half over the last 3 seasons (min. 15 direct picks).

In short, the Suns went at Luka Doncic. Neither he nor the Mavs had any answers;

Whenever Doncic was in the picture defensively, things got ugly. Chris Paul got by him with ease time and time again. After a while, Dallas felt the need to over-commit, leaving Phoenix wide-open on the perimeter. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place. That’s what the Suns do to you.

---

Luka Doncic Pest Control

Before this series started, I questioned whether or not the Suns could stop Luka Doncic. Despite their abundance of defenders, controlling the Wunderkind is no easy task. Through two games, things have gone better than expected. Sure, Doncic is putting up video-game numbers. But, things haven’t been coming as easily as they did against Utah.

40.0 points / 8.5 rebounds / 7.5 assists / 66% TS

Those numbers don’t make sense. Doncic deserves a great deal of credit for doing all of that with the lengths Phoenix is going. But that’s not what we’re here to do. Let’s talk about some pest control;

---

No Ball, No Effectiveness

In case you didn’t know, you need the ball to put points on the board. It’s kind of essential. The Suns know this, so they’re doing something about it. Everybody not named Luka Doncic will be forced to beat them. I would have the same strategy.

Think about it like this. Would you rather face the best playoff scorer per game or Davis Bertans? The choice is yours. I present to you no ball, no effectiveness;

This is the best defense we’ve seen in terms of getting the ball out of Luka’s hands. The Suns are always loading up on Doncic’s side, making him see bodies before he makes a move. What I’ve been surprised about has been their single coverage.

Doncic hasn’t been getting doubled constantly. Phoenix will occasionally trap him, but those moments are few and far between. For the most part, they just guard Luka one-on-one. That’s not even the surprising that. The surprising thing is that it’s not always a wing defender on Doncic.

Chris Paul has spent time on him. So have Cam Johnson and Landry Shamet. Those guys aren’t elite defenders, but they’re doing their jobs. This cat and mouse game from the Suns is impressive.

Now more than ever, Doncic is faced with more split-decisions. Are they going to double? Can I make this skip pass? Who’s actually open?

---

Unreal Efficiency

Enough of this Luka Doncic guy. Now, let’s talk about efficiency. The Phoenix Suns were the most efficient offense in 2022. They were the leaders in FG%, second in FT%, and top-five in both TS% and 3-PT%. It was hard to find a team as efficient as the Suns.

Is it any surprise they’ve carried that play into the postseason? The Suns aren’t just scoring – they’re doing so with ease. Shooting 50%+ in the playoffs isn’t an easy thing to do. Phoenix is making a mockery of that idea;

Suns Games Played in the Playoffs: 8
Suns Games Shooting 50%+ in the Playoffs: 8

That’s right. So far, the Suns have yet to make less than half of their field goal attempts. They’re generating open looks like crazy and cashing in more than half the time. It doesn’t matter who’s doing it – the Suns cannot be stopped.

Phoenix has had an unearthly 121.4 offensive rating in the postseason. Dallas’ lack of standout defenders is standing out even more now that Phoenix is playing like their city’s geographical location. The best (or worst) part is that there’s no end in sight.

It’s not unusual for teams to on offensive stretches like this. But, to do this in the playoffs, where scoring becomes harder, is downright impossible. If there were any team to do it, it would be the Phoenix Suns.

---

Can Anybody Stop Them?

Last year, the Suns were playing at a level similar to this. Then a Greek man stopped them in their tracks. I don’t want to make the same mistake as last year. Getting ahead of myself isn’t necessary for the second round.

With that being said, it’s hard not to pick the Suns as the overwhelming favorites. Every other Western Conference team doesn’t look up to their level. Dallas is likely to get swept in this series with how things have transpired.

Out East, who’s the best team there? Bucks vs. Celtics is shaping up to be a bloodbath. Both teams aren’t at full strength, dealing with injuries to some of their best players. Can the Heat stop them? Probably not. On the off chance the 76ers make the Finals, they wouldn’t stand a chance, either.

Again, I don’t mean to overreact. There’s still a lot of basketball left to play. The Suns still have to win ten more games. They were in a similar position last season, and they blew it. Nothing’s stopping that same thing from happening again.

But it’s hard to see a team meeting what the Suns are currently doing. Are they bound to slow down? Yes. Are you overreacting? Most definitely. Should we crown the Suns as saviors? Maybe.

---

Can Anybody Beat The Suns In The Postseason? Leave A Comment Down Below!

• Instagram
• Facebook

Follow My Instagram & Facebook To Never Miss A Post: @hoopnotions