It was an encapsulation of the 2024 calendar year.
Am I being too harsh with the title? Oh well. It’s how I feel.
The Phoenix Suns lose. It’s a phrase we heard all too often in December of 2024, a month that saw the team go 4-9. They lost to a Memphis Grizzlies team that was undermanned — they had just 9 players available — but that didn’t matter. Phoenix never led in this game, losing 117-112.
They played like a team ripped straight out of a time capsule, circa 2014. The kind of Suns squad that was always tantalizingly close, perpetually flirting with victory but never sealing the deal. You remember those teams, right? The ones that gave up monster quarters, clawed their way back into games, only to trip over their own shoelaces at the finish line. Back then, it was almost charming. They were scrappy, still learning the art of closing out games, taking their licks as part of the process.
But this? This isn’t a scrappy underdog story. This is the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns, operating with the highest payroll in NBA history. The highest payroll, like, ever. And they’re playing like they’re still stuck in that bygone era. Except now, the stakes are astronomically higher, as are the expectations. The grace period for learning curves and moral victories expired a long time ago. These aren’t the Suns of yesteryear. But unfortunately, they sure look like them.
So as we welcome the New Year, we’re stuck with that same team from a decade ago. One that finds ways to lose rather than ways to win.
For the 53rd time this season, the Suns have permitted 30+ points in a quarter after giving up 33 points to Memphis in the second. They have now played 128 quarters this season. https://t.co/Z4fO2HX9g6
— John Voita (@DarthVoita) January 1, 2025
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Ryan Dunn has entered the chat. After the Suns lost to the Warriors on Saturday, it was a close race, and the community valued defense and hustle more than scoring and turnovers. Ryan Dunn and Josh Okogie accounted for 58% of the vote, with Dunn coming out on top with 32%.
Welcome, young lad, to the BSB Club. You’re still a rookie, so you have to park your own car.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Who played well in another crap loss?
Kevin Durant
29 points (11-of-19, 1-of-5 3PT), 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers, -4 +/-
Devin Booker
16 points (4-of-20, 2-of-8 3PT), 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, -1 +/-
Tyus Jones
21 points (7-of-15, 2-of-5 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 5 turnovers, -10 +/-
Monte Morris
12 points (5-of-8, 0-of-1 3PT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, +5 +/-
Mason Plumlee
12 points (6-of-6), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 40 turnovers, -7 +/-
Ryan Dunn
8 points (3-of-7, 2-of-5 3PT), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, +5 +/-
Who gets your vote for the final Bright Side Baller of 2024?