Suns made complete 180

Phoenix went from worst to conference champions

The seeds for this were planted nearly a year ago.

The Phoenix Suns were in the middle of their eight-game unbeaten run inside the bubble at Walt Disney World last summer when someone asked coach Monty Williams if it was fun to be the feelgood story of the event.

His answer was telling. “Fun? I don’t have time to have fun right now,” Williams said. “It’s always good to win, but I’m working right now. And I want guys to understand, it’s fun when you win — but then you’ve got to turn the page and get right back to work.”

They apparently listened. They’re the Western Conference champions now.

The scope of this turnaround is impressive. The Suns had, by far, the worst record in the NBA over a five-year span before heading to the bubble last summer. They’ve had, by far, the best record in the NBA since. And now the NBA Finals against either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Atlanta Hawks await, with Game 1 sometime next week in Phoenix.

“Just a long time coming,” Suns guard Devin Booker said.

Believe it: The Suns, 40-1 long shots to win it all when this season started, are now according to Fanduel the overwhelming favorites to be NBA champions.

Booker has spent six years with the Suns, more than any other player on the roster. He was there for all the losses — “the bottom of the bottom,” he said. From the start of his rookie season in 2015 to the start of the bubble last year, Booker played in more losses than anyone in the NBA, 233 of them in all. He played in 101 wins in that span; 285 other players during those years enjoyed more victories.

The Suns were 113-280 overall in that span, 16 1⁄2 games behind the 29th-ranked New York Knicks. And then came the bubble: The Suns are 71-25 since those games started, with only one other team — Utah, at 64-34 — within 10 percent of Phoenix when it comes to winning percentage over the last 12 months.

“Waiting on this moment right here,” Booker said.

Notes: Toronto guard Jalen Harris was dismissed and disqualified from the NBA for violating terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-drug Program. The league, teams and union are prohibited from publicly disclosing information about testing or treatment of any NBA player under the Antidrug Program, other than to announce a suspension or dismissal. As a first-year player, Harris is eligible to apply for reinstatement in a year.