Bubble start of Suns’ run
The seeds for this were planted nearly a year ago.
The Suns were in the middle of their eightgame unbeaten run inside the bubble at Walt Disney World last summer when someone asked coach Monty Williams if it was fun to be the feel-good 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 Bucks or the 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 longshots 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
games behind the 29th-ranked Knicks. And then came the bubble: The Suns are 71-25 since those games started, with only one other team — the Jazz, at 64-34 — within 10% of the Suns when it comes to winning percentage over the last 12 months.
“Waiting on this moment right here,” Booker said.
There were many moments that led to this. Drafting Booker and Deandre Ayton. Hiring Williams as coach. Landing a superstar like Chris Paul in a trade, signing Jae Crowder as a free agent after his finals run with the Heat last fall. If any or all of those don’t happen, this run doesn’t happen.
But the biggest break of all was the bubble.
And those bubble seeds have blossomed.
Giannis, Young out: As expected, Bucks forward and two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out Game 5 of the East finals Thursday night with a hyperextended left knee.
A little less sure was the status of Hawks point guard Trae Young.
But the Hawks announced shortly before tipoff that Young would miss his second straight game with a bone bruise in his right foot.
The series against the Hawks was tied 2-2 but Thursday night’s game ended too late for this edition.
The Hawks said Young would continue to rehab his injury with hopes he will be able to return for Game 6 on Saturday.