The midpoint of the Phoenix Suns season: By the Numbers
Jan 18, 2017, 10:30 AM | Updated: 11:44 am
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
At the midpoint of the season, the 13-28 Phoenix Suns are what most would have expected and right on pace for the oddsmakers’ preseason over/under set at 26.5 wins. They’re young and energetic, but have gone through growing pains throughout the first half of the season.
While the team has not won much, some of the numbers do paint a more positive picture for the Suns. Their young talent has been productive on the offensive end and some of the old vets have looked rejuvenated in the first half of the season.
Here is the Phoenix Suns season at the midpoint, by the numbers:
5
The number of NBA players averaging 19 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. Eric Bledsoe is one of them. The other four are LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
7
Tyson Chandler’s current average of 12.1 rebounds per game would make him the seventh player in NBA history to average 12 or more rebounds per game during a season in which they were 34 years of age or older. He would join Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Dennis Rodman, Dikembe Mutombo, Robert Parish and Charles Barkley in doing so. All of the other members of this club averaged more than 32 minutes a game, while Chandler is averaging only 27.8.
11
The number of games rookie forward Marquese Chriss has scored in double figures. He’s been coming into form recently, with five of those games happening since Dec. 25, 2016.
14
The number of times Bledsoe or Devin Booker scored 30 or more points in a game. They have yet to both score 30 in the same game. Booker holds all the top three spots between the two with three 39-point games this season.
17.5
The Suns are second in the league in percentage of points created off turnovers with 17.5 percent. They’re also second in percent of points on fastbreaks at 17.5, with the Warriors leading at 19 percent. The quick style is helped by the fact that the Suns are tied as the best team in opponent turnovers per game.
18.2
The Suns are on pace to average the fewest assists per game in franchise history at 18.2. Only Eric Bledsoe (5.8), Booker (3.1) and Brandon Knight (2.6) are averaging two or more assists per game.
25
The Suns lead the league with 25 fouls per game.
28
The number of points Booker scored in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 12, 2017, setting a franchise record for points in a quarter and helping him tie his career high of 39. His 39 points were the most ever scored in a regular season game hosted in Mexico. He then matched that total two days later against the Spurs.
32.6
The number of times Phoenix drives to the rim per game, placing them third in the NBA. Their penetration is due in large part to Bledsoe, who is seventh in drives per game and has the highest field goal percentage on drives of anyone in the top 15 of most attempts per game.
45
The Suns collect 45.2 rebounds per game, placing them seventh in the NBA. They sit at fourth in offensive boards as well. Before ranking fifth on the offensive glass last season, Phoenix had not been in the top 10 since 2002-03.
67.1
If Chandler qualifies with 300 field goal attempts by the end of the year, his field goal percentage of 67.1 would rank first in Suns history. He would eclipse Mark West’s 62.5 percent from the 1989-90 season. Chandler currently has 142 field goal attempts on the season. He previously led the league in field goal percentage in 2011-12 by shooting at a 67.9-percent clip for the New York Knicks.
111.7
The Suns are giving up the second-most points per game in the league at 111.7. The only team allowing more are the 8-31 Brooklyn Nets, who are allowing 114.9 per game.