Are the Suns equipped to end championship drought?

The crowning of the Suns remains one of the great untold stories in professional sports. It’s a story full of romance and pathos, a tale 57 years in the making.

Imagine if they win it all in 2024-25, in the tribute season to Al McCoy, while wearing “AL” bands on their uniforms.

If you’re going to dream, this is the time.

The Suns have already pulled off a minor miracle entering a new season. They feel new. They feel cleansed and rinsed from the debacle of our very first super team, where Kevin Durant and Devin Booker were leaders of a group that was swept in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

That’s beyond an embarrassment.

But Durant and Booker have a fresh glow. They were two of the most influential players at the Paris Olympics, trusted with the pressure minutes and delivering a new set of gold medals. Tyus Jones was a game-changing addition, a tribute to the recruiting skills of Mat Ishbia, Josh Bartelstein and James Jones. It was also an important admission of guilt from a franchise that once claimed they didn’t need a real point guard, only to get caught bluffing. Meanwhile, the hiring of Mike Budenholzer just feels right.

Coach Bud was weaned on the beloved voice of McCoy. He knows what it’s like to be a Suns fan. He understands our torment and our narrative arc. And he feels like the guy anointed to finally get this franchise to a confetti parade.

The Suns are already showing enhanced connectivity. Some of it is performative. This team knows it made a mess of 2023-24, allowing the culture to turn sour. Optics and body language will matter with this team, especially Bradley Beal.

But the Suns seem refreshed. They embraced the heavy emphasis on three-point shots during the preseason, something they were clearly stressed and defiant about under Frank Vogel. Their willingness to try is also a reflection of their willingness to be coached. That’s a good sign.

The Suns have flaws and weaknesses. They are lacking size, strength and rim protectors. Their projected starting lineup looks awfully small and might require mid-season adjustments. They are going to have to find the will to compete at a higher level on defense while goosing the tempo and the ball movement on offense. It’s not impossible, if they want it bad enough. If they believe they have the right mix this time around.

So, is this our time? Have we finally reached peak suffering?

The Red Sox eventually broke an 86-year curse. The Cubs finally won a World Series in 2016, some 13 years after blowing that gut-wrenching NLCS against the Marlins.  LeBron James delivered a championship in his return to Cleveland.

Sports matter because they give us hope, because they bring us tales of faith rewarded. Now is the time for our NBA franchise to cash the big ticket, to give Arizona the perfect sunset.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.  

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