Brilliance in the basics

By Chaz Davis

For the Phoenix Suns, this year has been a struggle. They are currently 19–56 on the season and not only last in the Western Conference, but in the entire NBA. The Suns have struggled every season since 2010 as that is the last time they clinched a spot in the playoffs. This year, if they finish dead last, will make it back to back last place finishes for them.

Their franchise is probably frantically attempting to figure out how to solve the problem. They have made trades, drafted big and tried about every move in the book. A problem that comes to mind for me when analyzing their statistics is not one main thing, but everything. The Suns lack every fundamental in the game. They do not place in the top five in any of the main categories — points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, blocks per game or steals per game. They also are not a top team in regards to field goal percentage, 3-pointers made, 3-point percentage or free throw percentage. The list goes on. The point is that they are struggling and a change needs to be made.

I think rather than looking to big names for coaches or players, they need to look more specifically at their fundamentals. Other teams who are struggling with the fundamentals of the game are the Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, and the New York Knicks. These teams are also performing poorly this year and are out of the playoff picture, but their drought has not been as long as the Suns. They should focus on the less glamorous stuff and work on their shooting, passing or rebounding. Just being a top five team in one of those many categories listed earlier would be a great start.