ESPN Insider ranks Phoenix Suns’ roster 13th in NBA
Mar 4, 2015, 3:49 PM | Updated: 4:50 pm
It’s been a strange year for the Phoenix Suns.
The 2014-15 campaign started with oodles of optimism and expectations — perhaps an unfair amount — following their 48-win season a year ago that surprised even the most ardent fans.
Phoenix was 28-20 after a 99-93 win over the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 30 and were entrenched in eighth place in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Since then, they’re 3-10 and have traded away five players, including point guards Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas and center Miles Plumlee. Phoenix is currently in 10th place in the West, 2.5 games out of a postseason spot.
With the team in some state of disarray, many are wondering if what Suns general manager Ryan McDonough did at the trade deadline has made them a better team. Although the early returns haven’t been positive, that remains to be seen.
But Amin Elhassan of ESPN took the time to analyze the rosters of all 30 NBA teams and rank them in terms of talent, coaching, health and expected productivity for the rest of the season.
He’s got the Suns in the league’s top half, at number 13 overall.
Keeping Goran Dragic wasn’t going to help them stave off the Thunder. But as is the case with many things in life, the sealing of the Suns’ fate didn’t happen on the trade deadline, but rather months earlier. Still, they recovered nicely with a good asset haul off an inevitable trade.
Although the Suns are 13th on this list, Elhassan has them ranked 10th among Western Conference teams, behind Golden State (1st), Memphis (3rd), Portland (5th), San Antonio (6th), Houston (7th), Oklahoma City (8th), the Los Angeles Clippers (9th), Dallas (10th) and New Orleans (12th).
Atlanta, Cleveland and Toronto were the Eastern Conference teams that ranked ahead of the Suns.
You can check out Elhassan’s rankings here, but you need ESPN Insider access.
