Phoenix Suns’ 2014-15 season post-trade deadline: By the Numbers

If you followed the Phoenix Suns’ 2014-15 season closely, you know the team looked significantly different before and after the Feb. 19 trade deadline — in roster makeup and performance.

You also might have found the results harder and harder to watch in the final 28 games of the season, as their record eroded from four games above .500 to four games below, including ending the year on a five-game skid.

The Suns were actually in the playoff hunt for a majority of the year, but those hopes were all but dashed with a home loss to Oklahoma City on March 29 with eight games remaining.

To recap the Suns’ plethora of trade deadline moves, guards Goran and Zoran Dragic went to the Miami Heat, point guard Isaiah Thomas was shipped to the Boston Celtics, and point guard Tyler Ennis and center Miles Plumlee were dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Essentially, what the Suns got in return were Brandon Knight, Marcus Thornton and Danny Granger. A few draft picks also changed hands amid the bevy of deadline deals.

The prized acquisition for Phoenix was Knight, a combo guard who was the leader of the improved Bucks. However, Knight only played in 11 games — starting nine — for his new team, missing a significant amount of time due to ankle and heel injuries.

Phoenix’s new-look roster never seemed to jell after the midseason makeover, and several statistics back up that notion.

Here’s a closer look at the Suns’ post-trade deadline performance, by the numbers:

3

Three of the five players the Suns traded away at the deadline — Thomas, Ennis and Plumlee — went on to play in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, while the Dragic brothers weren’t able to push the Heat into the postseason. The Bucks played noticeably worse after dealing Knight, but still secured the six seed in the East, eventually falling to Chicago in six games. The addition of Thomas was a huge boost to Boston, as the club went 20-10 after his arrival, earning the seventh spot in the eastern playoffs. The Celtics ended up getting swept in the opening round by Cleveland.

4-14

The Suns faced an incredibly tough schedule down the stretch of the season, and they didn’t appear to be up to the task, especially while dealing with a few injuries to starters. Phoenix went just 4-14 after the All-Star break against teams that went on the make the playoffs. The club’s overall record after the break wasn’t much better: 10-18. The Suns especially sputtered in the final 11 games of the campaign, winning just one in that span. They finished the season 39-43, missing out on the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

6.5

Phoenix’s three-point shooting went quickly downhill after the team’s February shakeup. The group made just 6.5 threes per game over its last 28 contests, while shooting just 29.8 percent — the lowest mark in the league — from long range. Prior to the trade deadline, the Suns were in the top 10 in the league in three-pointers per game (9.6) and three-point shooting percentage (35.9). The seven-year pro averaged 7.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, one steal and 1.4 blocks in 23.5 minutes per game after the trade deadline.

7.8

Brandan Wright was acquired from Boston about a month before the trade deadline, and he turned out to be a solid addition to the Suns’ frontcourt. He especially became comfortable in the team’s system after the All-Star break, playing in 26 games and starting seven.

9

Only one player acquired in the deadline deals not named Knight appeared on the court for the Suns after the All-Star break, and that Thornton, who made just nine appearances for Phoenix. The 6-foot-4 veteran guard only played an average of nine minutes per game, and he didn’t have much of an impact for his new team other than a 14-point, two-steal performance in a March 11 home win over Minnesota. Granger was the other trade deadline acquisition the Suns held on to, but the veteran small forward never took the court for his new club.

15.8

Markieff Morris took on a bigger role in the Suns’ offense after the departures of Dragic and Thomas. The starting power forward put up 15.8 points per game after the trade deadline, compared to 15.1 prior. The fourth-year forward also improved his rebounding — 6.6 per game after the deadline, compared to 6.0 before. His brother, Marcus, was another player whose scoring increased after the deadline: 9.9 points per game before and 11.6 after.

19.4

The Suns’ 19.4 assists per game after the All-Star break were the third-worst mark in the league. They were averaging 20.6 assists per game prior to that point, although that number still ranked in the bottom half of the league. Eric Bledsoe actually handed out 6.4 dimes per game after the break — compared to 5.9 leading up to it — but then again, he was completely handed the reins to the offense with Dragic and Thomas no longer in the mix.

26

Knight and starting center Alex Len missed a combined 26 games after the guard’s arrival in the Valley, including nine of the same games. The Suns’ frontcourt was even more depleted at the very end of the season when Wright missed two games, prompting coach Jeff Hornacek to start the 6-foot-10, 245-pound Markieff Morris at center. Had the Suns not been without Knight and Len down the stretch of the season, might they have made the playoffs? Probably not, but they might have been able to secure their second straight season above .500. However, Suns fans will have to wonder what could have been.

28

One of the few encouraging takeaways from the Suns’ season was the fact Bledsoe played in 81 games, including all 28 after the trade deadline. The only game the point guard missed all year was on Feb. 8 due to the birth of his second child (pretty legit reason, right?). Remember that he missed 39 games in his first season in Phoenix because of a pair of injuries, including a torn right meniscus that required surgery. The only other players to appear in purple and orange at least 81 games in 2014-15 were Markieff and Marcus Morris.

95.6

Phoenix’s offense noticeably stagnated after the team traded away three of its point guards. Previously known for their fast-paced system, the Suns managed just 95.6 points per game after the All-Star break — the sixth-lowest mark in the league — including five games of fewer than 80 points, and one below 70. Compare that to the 105.9 points per contest they put up prior to the All-Star Game, which was the fourth-highest rate in the NBA.