Phoenix showed glimpses of greatness but can they sustain it?
What do you do on off nights? You know, when the Phoenix Suns aren’t playing? I spend as much time as I can with my wife, not just because I love spending time with her, but because it softens the blow whenever I have to tell her the Suns are playing. “They’re playing again?!”
On those off nights, we’ll watch the tele together, and lately, I’ve been re-watching Breaking Bad, yo. So naturally, I started making comparisons between the team and the series that consumes my off time.
As I watch the iconic series, it hits me. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are the Suns’ Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Not in personality, but in their craft. They cook nightly, whipping up an elite, one-of-a-kind product that leaves the competition envious. Say what you want about them, but their scoring is undeniable.
Image created via Grok on X.
In Week 15, Booker averaged 30.5 points and is one game away from carving his name atop the Suns’ all-time scoring list. Durant? He put up 24.5 a night, staring down 30,000 career points like Walter White locking eyes with Skyler before declaring, “I am the one who knocks.”
But what’s the point of having two elite cooks if there’s no one to distribute the product? That’s the entire struggle of Breaking Bad—Walter and Jesse constantly searching for the right distributor, only to find that no one is ever good enough. Those who try to help either become a threat or self-destruct.
Deandre Ayton? Tuco. Unstable, erratic, and ultimately expendable. Chris Paul? Gus Fring. Calculating, disciplined, but never fully aligned with the operation. Behind them lies a long list of those who tried to make it work but, in the end, got in their way.
Maybe it’s a stretch, but it’s exactly where my mind went while watching Breaking Bad. If I wasn’t watching the Suns these past couple of weeks, I was watching Walter and Jesse. And begging both the Suns and White/Pinkman to just get out of their own way. But fate had other plans.
Now, as the trade deadline looms and the Suns limp out of Week 15 with a 2–2 record, the need for help is obvious. But in the end, does it even matter? Because in Breaking Bad, no amount of reinforcements ever made a difference.
Week 15 Record: 2-2
vs. Los Angeles Clippers, W, 111-109
- Suns 3PAr: 55.3%
- Suns 3PT%: 46.8%
The Suns had this one in the bag until they didn’t. Durant’s smooth midrange and Booker’s all-around brilliance built an early cushion, with Grayson Allen sprinkling in some timely threes. But Ivica Zubac led a Clippers charge, flipping the third with a 20-6 run.
Phoenix countered with hustle and crisp ball movement, but an 8-0 Clippers burst in the final minutes made it dicey. Free-throw shenanigans sealed it. You can’t predict the chaos. You just tread lightly and hope you come out on top.
vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, L, 121-113
- Suns 3PAr: 37.6%
- Suns 3PT%: 37.5%
The Suns’ loss to the Timberwolves felt less like a game and more like watching an RV break down in the New Mexico desert. Phoenix came out hot, moving the ball and playing with energy. But Minnesota’s defense turned the second half into a brick wall.
The third quarter? A wasteland of turnovers, lifeless offense, and bad adjustments. Transition defense collapsed, chemistry vanished, and the Wolves pounced like a pack sensing blood. Star power wasn’t enough. Minnesota’s depth and grit exposed every crack, leaving Suns fans staring at the wreckage, wondering what just happened.
@ Golden State Warriors, W, 130-105
- Suns 3PAr: 43.8%
- Suns 3PT%: 48.7%
The Suns didn’t just beat the Warriors. They dismantled them in what might be their most complete game of the season. Devin Booker, fresh off his All-Star snub and playing in the very arena where the game will be held, sent a loud and clear message: 31 points, 11 assists, and a whole lot of “you sure about that, coaches?” energy.
Devin Booker Leads the NBA in hockey assists, via @ESPNStatsInfo pic.twitter.com/Qt9KMdvtV0
— CantGuardBook (@CGBBURNER) February 1, 2025
Nick Richards owned the glass with 16 rebounds, Bradley Beal shook off a slow start, and Kevin Durant buried three daggers in the third. Crisp ball movement, engaged defense—this is the Suns team we’ve been waiting for.
@ Portland Trail Blazers, L, 127-108
- Suns 3PAr: 39.3%
- Suns 3PT%: 30.3%
Oh. The Suns aren’t the ones who knock. Phoenix rolled into Portland, and, well…it wasn’t pretty.
The Blazers ran them out of the Moda Center, exposing every defensive flaw in the process. Devin Booker did his best to keep Phoenix afloat, dropping 37 points and creeping closer to Walter Davis’ franchise scoring record, but beyond him? It was a mess.
Deandre Ayton had his revenge tour, while the Blazers’ size, speed, and energy overwhelmed an aging Suns squad. Turnovers, paint defense, and transition woes sealed Phoenix’s fate.
Week 15: 44.0% 3PAr, 41.7 3PT%
Little darlin’, graph it up!
It was another 40/40 week for the Suns, but what’s the point of shooting well from deep if the defense is a mess? It’s a moot point.
The Suns can’t rely on their offense as their best form of defense. Outscoring teams isn’t a sustainable strategy, and when the scoring faucet runs dry, they’re left with nothing but their defense to bail them out. And that’s a scary thought. This week, their 115.5 defensive rating overshadowed their impressive 44% three-point shooting and 41.7% overall efficiency.
Phoenix kicks off Week 16 against the same Portland Trail Blazers that handed them a loss last Saturday. But things are about to get messier than a desert deal gone wrong. This is NBA Trade Deadline week, and the clock strikes 1:00pm Arizona time on Thursday, February 6. If Phoenix gets tangled up in any last-minute wheeling and dealing, they’ll be walking into games before and after the deadline shorthanded, with lineups held together by duct tape and vibes.
And who’s waiting for them around this chaos? The scheduling gods must’ve been cooking something devious in their RV. The night before the deadline, it’s a road showdown against the Western Conference’s top dog, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The night after? A home game against the Utah Jazz, and then, just for kicks, the Denver Nuggets less than 24 hours later.
No favors. No breaks. Just a gauntlet of contenders lined up to see how much the Suns can take. If there’s ever a time to channel their inner Heisenberg and take control, it’s now.