Phoenix

Suns ROSTER

The Suns wowed the basketball world with their tremendous showing inside the Disney World bubble in 2020, as they won all eight of their seeding games. While they were one of the best teams after the restart, they left quite a lot to be desired prior to the mandatory mid-season break.

Offensively, the Suns managed an overall offensive rating of 111.3 in 2019-20, which isn't bad, but it ranked just 12th in the NBA.

Scoring was one of this team's strengths, averaging 113.6 points per contest (10th in the league). This was, of course, behind Devin Booker's 26.6-point average per game.

Shooting-wise, Phoenix attempted just 88.1 field goals per game, which was 22nd in the NBA. They made up for it with their efficiency, however, making 46.8 percent of their total attempts (eighth). The Suns were a mediocre squad in terms of three-pointers, attempting 31.8 per game (20th) while making 35.8 percent of them (16th).

This team's biggest strength on the offensive end was their free-throw shooting. They took 23.8 attempts from the line per game (10th), but what makes them so impressive is the fact that they ranked at the very top of the league by making 83.4 percent of their free-throw attempts. Booker attempting 7.3 attempts per game on a 91.9 percent clip had a lot to do with that.

Phoenix was also extremely impressive in moving the ball around, averaging 27.2 assists per game, which was first in the NBA. Ricky Rubio was this team's primary playmaker, averaging 8.8 dimes per game, while Booker also contributed with 6.5 helpers per contest.

One thing the Suns can improve on in 2020-21 is taking care of the rock. They averaged 14.8 turnovers per game, which was just 17th in the league. Having an extremely high usage rate meant that Booker committed 3.8 turnovers per contest on his own.

While the Suns were a relatively impressive squad on the offensive end last season, their defense was not exactly outstanding. All in all, they amassed a defensive rating of 110.8, which was just 17th in the NBA.

Phoenix allowed their opponents an average of 113.4 points per game, which ranked 20th in the league. The Suns were able to hold the opposition to just 87.4 field goal attempts per contest (11th), but the fact that opponents made 47.2 percent of them (22nd) obviously did not work in Phoenix's favor.

Suns opponents attempted just 32.0 triples per game, which, at sixth in the league, speaks volumes of how this team is able to close down long-distance shooters. Then again, opposing teams shot 36.3 percent from distance (21st), which was sort of a counterproductive point for the Suns.

One of the biggest issues this team needs to work on is their foul trouble. They averaged 22.6 fouls per game (28th), which resulted in 24.5 opponent free-throw attempts per contest (20th).

In terms of rebounding, the Suns weren't very good as well. They grabbed an average of 43.5 boards per game (21st), with 33.8 of them coming from the defensive end (21st). One bright spot was that they allowed opponents to grab just 9.1 offensive boards per game, good for third in the league.

The Suns also averaged 7.7 steals per game (14th). It is worth noting, however, that Ricky Rubio and Kelly Oubre Jr. -- two players Phoenix recently traded away -- combined for 2.7 swipes per contest. Then again, they did bring Chris Paul into the mix, so the nine-time All-Defensive point guard should have some say in this matter next season.

Blocks were one of the Suns' biggest weaknesses defensively, averaging just 4.0 swats per contest. At 29th in the league, only the Cleveland Cavaliers ranked lower than the Suns in blocks.

The Suns are currently coached by Monty Williams. The 49-year-old took over prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, and made quite an impact in his debut. While Phoenix ultimately missed out on a playoff berth, they went 8-0 in the bubble, which earned Williams the honor of the Top Coach of the Seeding Games. The Suns appear to have a bright future ahead with Williams at the helm.

Prior to settling in with the Suns, Williams was once the head coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans. He coached New Orleans for five seasons, amassing a 173-221 win-loss record. Williams was also a former assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Williams has six assistant coaches listed under him: Randy Ayers, Mark Bryant, Willie Green, Larry Greer, Darko Rajakovic, and Steve Blake, who himself started his coaching career last summer after retiring in 2017.