A Team On the Rise: Phoenix will Benefit From Falling Short in Playoff Race

The Phoenix Suns are one picture of complete irony. They went undefeated in all of their eight seeding games in the restart of the 2019-2020 National Basketball Association (NBA) season in Orlando, Florida. Phoenix Head Coach Monty Williams was named the Coach of the NBA Bubble and Devin Booker was included in the All-Bubble First Team. However, the Suns aren't in the playoffs and they didn't even get a slot in the play-in tournament for the final playoff berth in the Western Conference. While many cannot help but feel bad for a team who won all of their games inside the house of Mickey Mouse and not getting a slot in the playoffs, the Suns have proven in the restart that they are already a team that is on the rise and that they will continue to rise next season and beyond.

If there's one thing that came out during the eight seeding games that the Suns played in Orlando, it's that the Phoenix Suns are no longer the same lottery-bound team which means playing them doesn't automatically end up in an easy win for any opponent. And they now have the pieces to compete against the best in the West starting with the 23-year old Devin Booker. 

Booker's numbers have been on the rise since averaging 13 points per game during his rookie season. For the 2019-2020 season, he averaged 26 points per game which is good enough for ninth-best league-wide. Inside the bubble, he normed 30 points in their eight wins including the one against the Los Angeles Clippers with Booker hitting the game-winner against Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. If anything, Booker has already proven in Orlando that he is already a legitimate NBA superstar.

And Devin Booker isn't the only Suns player whose future is expected to shine brighter next season and beyond. Deandre Ayton, the top pick in the 2018 NBA Draft who was outshined by Luka Donmic and Trae Young, is showing signs that he can make his presence felt on the court. In his second season in the NBA, Ayton normed 18 points, 11 rebounds, and one and a half blocks in 38 games that he played. If he can improve on those numbers while staying away from injuries, Ayton is bound to become one of the best big men that everyone expected him to become one day.

Aside from Booker and Ayton, the Suns have more than enough players to build on their latest resurgence. They already have a steady starting point guard in Ricky Rubio who provided the stability in the point guard spot the Phoenix was sorely missing before Rubio's arrival. Mikal Bridges' ability to play defense will cause problems with his seven-foot-one wingspan that is coupled by his quick feet. If he continues to develop into that small forward who is also a good defender at the wings, Bridges will be an asset for the Suns to keep in the long run. In the bubble games, Bridges shot 36% from the three-point line and that's a good percentage for his position. The seeding games in Orlando also the elevation of Aron Baynes from a role player to a star player. After playing two seasons with the Boston Celtics, Baynes found himself playing for the Suns after Phoenix traded for him during the offseason and that move worked wonders for Baynes and the Suns. The 2019-2020 season marked the first time in Baynes' career that he averaged in double figures as the seven-year veteran normed 11 points while shooting a career-best 36% from the three-point line. 

While it's disappointing that Phoenix just fell short of a slot in the play-in game for the final playoff berth in the Western Conference this year, the Suns' time to shine in the playoffs will come eventually. They already have an established superstar in Devin Booker who has a capable supporting cast that includes Deandre Ayton, Ricky Rubio, Mikal Bridges, and Aron Baynes. They have a great coach in Monty Williams. The pieces are already there. It's now up for the Suns to carry on from this success.

Photo is from CBS Sports