Lottery Team Profile: Phoenix Suns

One of last season’s Unsung Heroes, Markieff Morris is helping take the Suns to another level. (Jennifer Stewart/USATSI)

Last year, the Phoenix Suns were a team many predicted would tank the season away in hopes of earning a high draft pick in 2014.

Instead, the team greatly exceeded expectations under first-year head coach Jeff Hornacek, finishing with a 48-34 record and ninth in the Western Conference. Phoenix ranked eighth in offensive efficiency (107.1 points per 100 possessions) and the combination of point guards Goran Dragic (last season’s Most Improved Player) and Eric Bledsoe in the starting backcourt proved to be a tough assignment for opponents. Markieff Morris, one of last season’s Unsung Heroes, had a breakout season and was in the running for Sixth Man of the Year. Miles Plumlee enjoyed an excellent sophomore season, averaging 8.1 points and 7.8 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game.

Unfortunately, the West was loaded in 2013-14, and despite having a better record than four Eastern Conference playoff teams (Washington, Brooklyn, Charlotte and Atlanta), the Suns were forced to watch the postseason from home.

So how would Phoenix respond after finishing just one game out of the eighth spot in the West?

The Suns signed former Sacramento Kings guard Isaiah Thomas, and after a long back-and-forth series of negotiations, the team re-signed Bledsoe to a five-year, $70 million contract. Morris, his twin brother, Marcus, and P.J. Tucker returned to the team with new contracts, as Dragic’s brother, Zoran, also joined the fold. Channing Frye signed with Orlando, but Phoenix countered by bringing in former Bobcats (now Hornets) forward Anthony Tolliver. In the 2014 NBA Draft, the team selected NC State’s T.J. Warren and Syracuse’s Tyler Ennis with its two first-round picks.

With a plethora of young talent locked up, the Suns have continued their success from last season. Currently, Phoenix is 23-18 and holds the eighth playoff spot in the West. Their offensive and defensive efficiency have remained consistent, and their total offense has increased by 1.8 points from last season.

But the most noticeable improvement Phoenix has made from last year is evident in its frontcourt depth. The team recently made headlines by acquiring big man Brandan Wright from the Boston Celtics for a future first-round draft pick. Wright, who is averaging 7.5 points and 1.3 blocks in 16.7 minutes per game this season, is a great fit for the Suns. He provides valuable rim protection on the defensive end and efficiency on the offensive end (he is shooting a remarkable 72.8 percent from the field this season). He is a player who understands his role and executes it to a tee.

Alex Len has also emerged as a low-post option. Drafted No. 5 overall in the 2013 draft, the Maryland product missed 40 games due to injury and struggled to find a spot in Hornacek’s rotation, much due to the success of Plumlee. This season, however, Len has been healthy and very active, averaging 6.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 20.4 minutes per game. Since the beginning of 2015, the Ukranian center is averaging 8.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 25.7 minutes per game. He has also posted double-doubles in each of his last two games (14-13 against Memphis; 13-10 against Cleveland).

If the season ended today, seven of the eight Western Conference playoff teams from last year would be postseason-bound once again. Phoenix is the only exception, and the Suns are in the driver’s seat at the moment with New Orleans and Oklahoma City in the rearview mirror. With Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook healthy, the Thunder look to be Phoenix’s biggest threat for the West’s final playoff spot. OKC is the more talented team, but the Suns are playing much better team basketball right now.

If Phoenix continues to play its style of basketball, there is a very realistic chance the Suns will earn their first playoff berth since the 2009-10 season.