What if I told you the Phoenix Suns were once the best team in the NBA this season? You’d probably have a hard time believing it. But through the first nine games of the 2024-25 regular season, the Suns were tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with an 8-1 record.
Since November 9, 2024, however, things have taken a turn for the worse. The Suns slowly but surely regressed to mediocrity, posting a 15-15 record over their next 30 games. Injuries kept Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant in and out of the lineup, trust in head coach Mike Budenholzer dwindled, and the front office's failure to make meaningful improvements at the trade deadline only compounded the team's struggles.
The Phoenix Suns has done little to make themselves a legitimate threat
For the past three months, Phoenix has been stuck in a game of hot potato with its place in the standings. What started as a goal to be one of the West’s top teams has now shifted to a last-minute hope of sneaking into the Play-In Tournament. As it stands, the Suns have the league’s toughest remaining schedule with seven games left, trailing the Sacramento Kings by one and a half games for the 10th seed.
Whether or not Phoenix makes the Play-In Tournament — let alone survives it — the team has done little to make itself a legitimate threat. Even if they secure the eighth seed, a first-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder would likely be short-lived.
The Suns and Thunder have met twice this season, with both games ending in decisive Oklahoma City victories. Their first matchup on November 15 saw a Beal- and Durant-less Suns team fall by 16 points, with Devin Booker shooting just 2-for-10 from the field. Their second meeting on February 5, even with Beal back in the lineup, resulted in an even worse 31-point loss.
At 35-40, Phoenix hasn’t been much of a threat to anyone this season, enduring multiple three-game (or longer) losing streaks. While injuries have certainly played a role, time is running out — both on the season and on the Suns’ current core. Durant has already expressed disinterest in leaving Phoenix this offseason, but if their downward trajectory continues, he could look to drive Booker and Beal out instead.
At this point, the Suns aren’t just fighting for a playoff spot — they’re fighting to convince themselves, their fans, and their stars that this experiment isn’t a failure. But with the clock ticking and their chances slipping away, it feels like Phoenix is running out of time.