Going perfect not enough

Sixteen teams are in the mask-mandatory NBA post-season and had started their respective match-up series.  The Toronto Raptors kicked off their title retention bid by badly slashing the Nets of Brooklyn. Over at the West, the Denver Nuggets won over the Utah Jazz, despite Donovan Mitchell’s 57 points, which is good for the third most points scored in NBA playoff history.

Still playing as of this writing is the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. With Ben Simmons indefinitely out for Philly, the Celtics were slightly ahead, starring Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Dallas Mavericks will go up against the LA Clippers. Two of the best Euro imports in the league are in the playoffs for the first time.  Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis will lead the Mavs but how they will fare against Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Both Luka and KP did well during the seeding games.  

But the best thing that happened during the seeding games was the impressive 8-0 run by the Phoenix Suns. The abnormal situation afforded the team the right moment to bond, find chemistry and transformed into a unit that reminds us of the days when the trio of Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion played a pedal-to-the-metal kind of game for Phoenix.  

Too bad the unbeaten run was not enough to qualify them for the playoffs but surely, we will be seeing a much exciting Suns basketball next season with the young core of Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson. The last time Phoenix went to the playoffs was in 2010 where the played against the LA Lakers for the Western Conference title and lost 2-4.  Going undefeated in the bubble was not enough even if the sun was shining brightly for Phoenix.

Booker played like an MVP and he finally had a strong supporting cast, with a solid defense anchored on Ayton. With an experienced pass-first point guard in Ricky Rubio, it has placed Booker on a much more productive 2-spot. Although it was not a guarantee for a playoff appearance, I can only imagine had Kelly Oubre been playing and not been recovering from a knee operation. The high energy small forward is second on the team in scoring, second in rebounds, second in blocks, third in steals and first in high-light reel dunks.  

The 8-0 run was not a stroke of luck but a statement that the Suns will be back even if their season were over.  For 10 years they had struggled but now, they are on the right path.  I’m a Phoenix fan but had rooted for them for the play-in but as the saying goes, some good things had to end.  Suns fans should be proud and again get loud.