Watching the Suns right now feels like a bad joke, so I went and heard some real jokes instead. Thanks, Pete Holmes.
All season long, I’ve used this space to give our community a chance to vote for the player of the game while also offering my own quick summation. The game recap serves those who missed the action and want a breakdown of what went down. But the Bright Side Baller write-up? That’s more of a “here’s how Voita sees it” kind of thing.
I don’t have a summation from last night. I didn’t watch the game. I didn’t see the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz duke it out. I missed a great one, I know. Oh well.
Obviously, this won’t be a trend, but after the trade deadline, I needed a break. I needed to laugh. So instead of watching the Suns, I went to see Pete Holmes perform at StandUp Live in downtown Phoenix. And honestly? No regrets.
You know Pete Holmes, right? His legendary bit about how “nothing makes sense” is an all-timer.
Even as I watched him perform, I kept thinking about that bit and how perfectly it applies to the Phoenix Suns. Nothing makes sense anymore. And that’s exactly why I needed to step away, even if just for a night.
Because while I know what’s happening in Phoenix is temporary — it always is — there’s always tomorrow. I think back to 2016, when the team was struggling, but at least we had hope. We knew the struggle was temporary, that a new day would come, and that a fresh season would eventually arrive. The same goes for this Suns team, one that has all but waved the white flag at the deadline and punted on the year. They’ll ride it out, they’ll win some games along the way, but we know what they are. And we know what they could have been.
The only way around this is through it.
So we’ll suffer together. Because that’s what a community does. A collective of people sharing an experience so unique, there’s only one place to truly find others who understand it. So find your moments of enjoyment. And when you get the chance, go laugh a little, too. Because that’s the only thing that’s going to get us through this.
Pete Holmes, by the way, was fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that he’s now an honorary nominee for the Bright Side Baller award after every Suns game. Because sometimes this team is so laughably bad that the only way to process it is through comedy. A true Pete Holmes level of comedic play.
So welcome, Pete, to the bizarre, inexplicable fraternity that Suns fans have built over years of suffering. You’ve officially dethroned Mariah Carey as our go-to symbol of absurdity. You are special. You are one of us now. God help you.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
With the NBA trade deadline sandwiched between games — and given how awful that last performance was — it feels like ages ago, but Bradley Beal took home the BSB for his effort off the bench against the Thunder. He was one of the few who actually showed up to compete. He earned it…but just barely.
So cheers to you, Mr. Bradley Beal! It’s not your fault that management screwed the pooch by acquiring you!
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Devin Booker
47 points (18-of-33, 3-of-10 3PT), 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, +7 +/-
Grayson Allen
21 points (7-of-19, 7-of-14 3PT), 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, +12 +/-
Nick Richards
12 points (4-of-7, 0-of-0 3PT), 14 rebounds, 0 assists, 4 blocks, -10 +/-
Tyus Jones
16 points (4-of-13, 4-of-11 3PT), 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, +5 +/-
Bol Bol
12 points (5-of-8, 2-of-5 3PT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, +10 +/-
Royce O’Neale
12 points (4-of-11, 4-of-11 3PT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, -7 +/-
I didn’t see the game. So I must trust you.
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