Tracking 40, Week 21: Are the Phoenix Suns too broken to fix as season hangs in the balance?

The Phoenix Suns’ playoff hopes at risk after another disastrous week.

There was a moment in the Phoenix Suns’ loss to the Lakers on Sunday that felt heavier than the final score. It marked the first time Phoenix faced Luka Doncic in a Lakers uniform, a player all too familiar with tormenting them. Before Sunday, he had faced the Suns 21 times, averaging 28.9 points per game. Only Michael Jordan, at 34.1, has done more damage.

For seven years, Luka has seen every version of this franchise. He played them when they were a 19-win afterthought, when Ricky Rubio arrived to steady the ship, when they reached the Finals, and when they won 64 games—only for him to dismantle them. He’s been there through every rise and fall, every iteration of Suns basketball.

So when he was caught on the mic Sunday saying, “I’ve never been open so much in my life,” maybe it was sarcasm. Maybe it was just Luka being Luka. Or maybe, after everything, it was the most honest assessment of where the Suns stand today.

Sure, we know that’s not entirely true. Luka has undoubtedly been open plenty of times before, and yeah, it was probably just a throwaway comment, said in jest. But that doesn’t make it any less infuriating. Watching him carve up the Suns, game after game, without so much as a speed bump in his path is a gut punch. A reminder of exactly who this team is. Aand who they’ve always been against him.

What made it worse was Mike Budenholzer’s brief but baffling assessment between the first and second quarters. Speaking with ESPN, he claimed the Suns were “doing a good job pressuring Luka.” Meanwhile, Luka was casually stepping into wide-open threes, untouched and unbothered.

It was a statement so detached from reality that it almost felt like satire. Except there was nothing funny about watching the Suns once again fail to disrupt the one player who has made tormenting them his personal pastime.

Are the Suns really that disconnected from reality? Is their coaching staff and their players so oblivious to the stark contrast between their actions and what they think is happening on the court? The team that went 1-3 in Week 21 should have been playing with a sense of focus and urgency the entire week, knowing full well that their season hangs by a thread. If they don’t pull it together, they may not even make the Play-In tournament.

But do they care? Or is this the point where they’ve realized they’re so fractured, so broken, that no fix is possible? Sure, they’re competitors with pride and egos. But when things go off the rails, that pride and ego can turn toxic, breeding incompatibility and a dangerous lack of accountability.

Week 21 served as yet another harsh reminder of how atrocious this Suns defense has become. It’s reached the point where opposing teams are practically salivating when Phoenix rolls into town, knowing they’ll get their fair share of easy baskets. And when the opponent is miked up, it takes things to a whole new level of embarrassing. It’s like watching a team who’s given up the secret to the game plan, making it painfully obvious that defense is the last thing on their minds.

Week 21 Record: 1-3

@ Memphis Grizzlies, L, 120-118

• Suns 3PAr: 42.2%
• Suns 3PT%: 52.6%

The Suns got a full-course serving of Memphis BBQ last Monday night, losing 120-118 and getting swept by the Grizzlies for the season. Despite missing key players, Memphis once again outworked Phoenix, proving that toughness and execution trump talent alone.

The Suns showed fight, but questionable coaching decisions — like benching Nick Richards in the fourth and letting Ja Morant cook without Ryan Dunn in sight — proved costly. The margins are thin in the NBA, and Phoenix keeps landing on the wrong side of them.

@ Houston Rockets, L, 111-104

• Suns 3PAr: 38.4%
• Suns 3PT%: 35.7%

The Suns sleepwalked through another defensive disaster, falling to the Rockets in a game that felt more like a formality than a competition. Houston bullied Phoenix on the glass, forced 17 turnovers, and waltzed through a defense that offers all the resistance of a revolving door.

Mason Plumlee tried to square up with Steven Adams — bold, yet ill-advised — but beyond that, the night was predictable. The Suns aren’t just losing; they’re making it look effortless. At this rate, it’s not a slump. It’s an identity.

vs. Sacramento Kings, W, 122-106

• Suns 3PAr: 54.4%
• Suns 3PT%: 55.8%

On a night when downtown Phoenix was drowning in rain, the Suns made it rain inside, torching the Kings with a season-high 24 threes. Ryan Dunn, in his first start since February, played like a caffeinated golden retriever. Everywhere, relentless, impossible to ignore.

Oso Ighodaro saw extended minutes after Mason Plumlee got ejected (again) for his newfound hobby of clocking big men. The win keeps their Play-In hopes on life support, but more importantly, it proved something: fresh legs and energy still matter in this league.

@ Los Angeles Lakers, L, 107-96

• Suns 3PAr: 54.4%
• Suns 3PT%: 55.8%

The Suns showed up in LA like a band that forgot how to play its own songs. By the time the first quarter ended, they were already down 20, clanking their way to a brutal 9% from deep and a soul-crushing 37 first-half points.

Effort? Nonexistent. Energy? Left back in Phoenix. It was a game so lifeless you could almost hear the basketball gods laughing. Just when you think this team has turned a corner, they slam the door in your face. Basketball karma at its finest.

Week 21: 45.3% 3PAr, 42.0 3PT%

The community got it right. The majority — 29% — predicted the Suns would finish Week 21 with a 1-3 record, and that’s exactly where they landed.

Offensively, Week 21 was a bright spot for Phoenix. They ranked 4th in the NBA for three-point shooting, thanks in large part to their performance against the Kings. Additionally, they secured the 6th best week in limiting opposing rebounds. It was another solid 40/40 week for the Suns.

The Suns were foul-happy this week, giving up 26 free throw attempts per game, second most in the league. Add to that their repeated struggles with turnovers, allowing 20 points off turnovers per game, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

The margin for victory is razor-thin, and when you fail to protect it, you end the week 1-3.

Week 22 Preview

This is the death rattle week. A flickering ember of a season gasping for air, clinging to the illusion of control. It begins with two winnable games against Toronto and Chicago. Maybe the Suns handle their business. Maybe we see something real. Rotations that click. Effort that inspires. A glimpse of sustainability in a year defined by chaos.

But don’t be fooled. Not again.

The week ends with Cleveland. Just three games. A chance to breathe life into false hope. But hope is a trickster. Be warned. Do not be fooled.

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