Phoenix’s Possible Post-season Position

Last matchup, the Phoenix Suns didn’t do too well.

On March 29, they played against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a top team in the Western Conference. Unfortunately for the Suns, they showed why during this matchup.

Throughout the game, the Phoenix Suns looked out-matched. The first quarter was close but, by the second, the Suns were down double digits. The Suns couldn’t recover and lost 103-128.

This loss puts the Suns, as of April 1, in a predictable post-season position: the Play-In. Even from a positive outlook, Phoenix is in one of two post-season positions.

The Play-In

To reiterate, if the season were to end today, the Phoenix Suns would be in the Play-In. Essentially, they have a non-guaranteed chance to make the playoffs.

As the eighth seed, the Phoenix Suns would have to face off against the Sacramento Kings (who are the seventh seed). Like the Suns, the Kings are a tough team to beat, but for different reasons.

The Suns are tough because they have three all-stars in Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant. Each of these players can go off any night and, if all three play well, they can beat any team around the league.

On the other hand, the Kings are tough because they are hungry. Last season was the first time in a long time that the Kings made the playoffs, and they put up a great fight against the Golden State Warriors to stay in. Despite their positioning, they want to not only be back but be better as well.

If they win, the Suns would have to face off against the defending champion Denver Nuggets. But, if they lose, they’d battle it out with LeBron James’s and Anthony Davis’s Lakers or Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors.

Every route in this scenario is tough. But, sadly, it’s the most likely scenario out of the two possibilities.

Playoffs?

The less likely of these possibilities is making the playoffs outright. Putting into perspective the state of the Western Conference Standings (often nicknamed “Wild West”), this journey would be difficult.

Once again, the Phoenix Suns are the eighth seed and tied with Sacramento with a record of 43-31. The closest teams to the Suns are the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, who are tied with a record of 45-29.

That means the Suns must go on at least a three-game winning streak while the other teams must lose three straight games. Seems easy enough, right? Wrong!

The Kings, once again, are hungry. The Dallas Mavericks are on a seven-game winning streak and are 9-1 are their last 10 games. The New Orleans Pelicans look like they are putting it together.

All these teams are very competent. So, it would be difficult to see any of them losing that many straight, especially this late in the season.

However, it’s not impossible. If the Phoenix Suns go on a win streak large enough, they’ll be able to get themselves the fifth or sixth seed.

But, once again, none of these teams will go down without a fight. It’s the “Wild West” at its finest.

Every Game Counts!!!

Regardless of where the Phoenix Suns end up, every game counts. To get a better Play-In spot, they must take it game by game. If they want to make the playoffs, they must take it game by game.

Their post-season position is heavily dependent on how the other teams do. Therefore, to get the best outcome, they must win as much as possible until the rest of the season. That process starts tonight (April 1) against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Stay tuned for more NBA content, including midseason moves, contract updates, and more pieces about every team.

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