Tracking 40, Week 14: Suns stay above .500 but struggles against elite teams raise concerns

Suns survive shaky performances and keep it interesting against weaker foes.

How do I feel about the Phoenix Suns after Week 14? Honestly, it’s complicated. This week was a perfect snapshot of their season. Against the NBA’s top-tier teams, they stumble like a baby deer on ice. Against the league’s bottom feeders? Sure, they win, but they make it feel like a Broadway production. Drama, chaos, and a lot of unnecessary effort.

The numbers don’t lie. Phoenix is 9-16 against teams over .500, yet they boast a shiny 14-5 record against squads who can’t even spell “playoffs.” And while these standings reflect their record against teams as they stand now, not when they played them, the story remains the same. They keep it interesting.

“Interesting.” Yeah, that’s one way to put it. The 2024-25 Phoenix Suns are like a reality show you never asked for but can’t stop watching. Real Housedudes of the Phoenix Suns. Drama? Check. Trade rumors swirling like tumbleweeds in a desert wind? Oh, absolutely. Underwhelming performances that make you question every preseason prediction? You bet. The Suns are knee-deep in all of it, and it’s turned this season into a soap opera disguised as basketball.

Bu “interesting” doesn’t mean good. Let’s not confuse the two. Entertaining? I wouldn’t go that far, because what’s been happening on the court has been, let’s say, subpar. A lot of hype, a lot of noise, but when the ball tips, it’s a whole lot of meh. Still, you can’t look away. This season’s got all the chaos, just not enough of the quality.

Listen, I get it. All this angst after a 2-1 week? What the hell is wrong with me? The Suns handled their business, more or less. Smacked by Cleveland, an elite NBA squad? Fine, whatever. Beating the Nets and Wizards, two of the league’s saddest basement-dwellers? As expected. But this is what life looks like when you’re a team hovering just north of .500, perched precariously on the line between mediocrity and potential.

Here we are: 23-21. That’s where the Suns sit, teetering, as they gear up for the bloodbath that is the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA. You’d think they’d have built up a little more of a cushion by now, right? But no. It is what it is. And honestly, they’re not alone. Mediocrity is basically the Western Conference’s brand this year. That 23-21 record? It’s good enough for 8th place out West.

Now, the real grind begins. Thirty-eight games left, with plenty of opportunities to face — and hopefully leapfrog — the teams just ahead of them. The question is: Do they rise to the occasion, or do they keep playing this painfully predictable script?

Before we get too far ahead, let’s rewind. Week 14 was…well, it was something. Let’s break it down.

Week 14 Record: 2-1

@ Cleveland Cavaliers, L, 118-92

• Suns 3PAr: 33.8%
• Suns 3PT%: 38.5%

Ugh. The kind of game that burrows into your brain and refuses to leave. The kind that makes you feel exposed, like you’re walking around without clothes on. The Cavs were undermanned, but it didn’t matter.

Nick Richards got tangled up in foul trouble early, Mike Budenholzer gambled with small ball, and after a 27-27 tie in the first, the Suns were outscored 91-65 the rest of the way.

It was a brutal reminder that the Suns still have a long, long way to go.

@ Brooklyn Nets, W, 108-84

• Suns 3PAr: 46.6%
• Suns 3PT%: 34.1%

The three-point attempts were high for Phoenix, and since they weren’t exactly shooting the lights out, the Nets stuck around. It never felt in doubt, but it did feel like the Suns were playing with their food a little. The Nets shot a miserable 19.4% from deep, which is why Phoenix came away with the “easy” win, despite losing the rebounding battle.

KD didn’t need to play in the fourth quarter, and I think that might be the first time this year. That was a good thing, though, and honestly, it’s something I’d love to see more often.

vs. Washington Wizards, W, 119-109

• Suns 3PAr: 44.4%
• Suns 3PT%: 32.5%

The Suns’ three-point shooting was a rollercoaster ride against the Washington Wizards, ebbing and flowing in unpredictable waves. Early on, it felt like the rim had a lid, with Phoenix bricking shot after shot from deep. But as the game unfolded, something shifted. The lid came off, and the Suns started connecting from beyond the arc with machine-like precision.

It was the quintessential game of runs, a constant tug-of-war where momentum swung wildly in both directions. The Wizards, a team with only six wins to their name, had their moments, but the Suns’ superior firepower ultimately proved too much to handle.

Week 14: 42.0% 3PAr, 34.6 3PT%

Graph time!

The graph did a funny thing there, didn’t it? The Three-point percentage took a dive from last week, dropping 4.1%. But the three-point rate? It increased by 5.5%. Yet the Suns match their Week 13 record by going 2-1.

What does it mean?

When facing subpar competition, it’s easy to fall into the trap of relying on the three-ball. Why? Laziness. It’s far less taxing to camp behind the arc and fire away than to put in the effort to drive to the rim, cut through the defense, or work tirelessly off screens to create open looks. Add to that the fact that teams like the Nets and Wizards are notoriously poor at defending the perimeter, and the Suns found themselves with plenty of opportunities to let it fly.

Against Cleveland, the NBA’s best defensive team, it was a different story. Phoenix posted a three-point rate of just 33.8%, a reflection of Cleveland’s ability to lock down the perimeter. But remove that game from the equation, and the Suns’ Week 14 three-point rate jumps to 45.5%.

That’s the key takeaway: when playing weaker teams, the Suns often abandon attacking the paint and settle for a barrage of threes. Case in point: they shot just 33.3% from deep against both the Nets and Wizards.

This habit of lazily chucking up threes can be dangerous. It keeps teams that should be outmatched within striking distance, turning games into unnecessary dogfights. The lesson here? Laziness isn’t a strategy, and it certainly isn’t a winning one. And despite going 2-1 this week, Phoenix did so in a lazy fashion.

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Week 15 is here, and it’s a pivotal stretch for the Suns to gain ground in the Western Conference standings.

It kicks off tomorrow against the Los Angeles Clippers, who are outperforming preseason expectations with a 26-19 record and holding the 6th seed. The Suns haven’t faced them since opening week, so this will be a true test of progress.

On Wednesday, it’s the Minnesota Timberwolves, sitting just ahead of the Suns as the 7th seed with a 24-21 record. This will be Minnesota’s first visit to Phoenix since their playoff sweep last April, and you can bet Anthony Edwards will show up motivated to face his Olympic teammates—especially in a post-KAT era.

Friday brings a trip to Golden State, where the struggling Warriors (22-23) will look to use this matchup to climb the standings. With potential trade moves looming, Stephen Curry and company are hungry to turn things around.

The week wraps up in Portland on Sunday for the first of two games against the lowly Trail Blazers, a team firmly stuck at the bottom of the standings. A prime opportunity for the Suns to close strong.