ESPN: Phoenix Suns have just announced the return of their 24-year old veteran star to their starting roster…..see details

When things go tough, you have to look for big answers, and the Phoenix Suns right now are living proof of that. A five-game losing run, mostly due to injuries and a decline in defensive play, has the Suns on a nearly week-long layoff, which is acting as a sort of interval.

These recent losses are disheartening, but the Suns still have a chance to turn things around as we enter the season’s midpoint.

An Increase in Rim Pressure
Surprisingly, when it comes to looks at the rim, the Suns rank near the bottom in the NBA.

Despite ranking seventh in conversion rate at 65.9% according to the official NBA site, Phoenix ranks dead last in attempts attempted from inside five feet of the rim this season with just 21.4 looks.

A number of players and coaches have voiced their displeasure with the team’s lack of post-up opportunities, and it seems like that problem is still being worked on.

Bradley Beal, Oso Ighodaro, and Ryan Dunn all have excellent timing and quickness, making them dangerous finishing threats for the Wizards’ offence.

They can also discover alternative ways once all the talent is back, including using backdoor cutters or lobs to Ighodaro. They can also depend on Tyus Jones to use his hallmark floater more often.

Keep Reducing Employee Turnover
The Suns have made a lot more of an effort to protect the ball this season than they did last. At 13.1 giveaways per game, the Suns are just outside of the top ten teams in terms of turnover prevention this season.

Even better, the advanced numbers match.

With just 2.4 turnovers per game on drives, Phoenix ranks sixth in the league, and their turnover percentage of 5.4% ranks third-lowest.

The additions of the two most cautious players in that area throughout league history, Jones and Monte Morris, are directly responsible for this.

Opportunistic defence, having dribble-drives broken up, and losing control of the ball all been major contributors to the Suns’ turnover problems this season, which is a significant departure from last year’s carefree style of play.

Now that they’re all back together, Phoenix should be difficult to beat if they can keep from making expensive mistakes.

Attend to Likely Successes
This in no way implies that any of these teams are unworthy. Regardless of how talented each of the teams mentioned is, the Suns should win every game.

After a three-week stretch that includes games against the Brooklyn Nets, the New Orleans Pelicans (who are missing key players due to injury), the Indiana Pacers, and the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix will enjoy what is arguably the best stretch of the schedule all season long, which spans the entirety of January.

When April 2025 rolls around, the Suns shouldn’t have to worry about the dreaded play-in tournament if they take care of business against teams that are considered as worse.

Keep in mind that the Suns have gotten off to a great start (8-1) and won’t have to play catch-up like the 2-12 Philadelphia 76ers did. They have eighty-two games left to figure things out and get back to being one of the best teams in the NBA.