The Phoenix Suns have had many opportunities to climb into the 6th seed in the Playoff race. However, they have not stepped up to the challenge. They have failed to snatch it away from the teams ahead of them. The bigger the game, the smaller the Suns team gets. The moment becomes overwhelming for the men in purple from the Valley. Their superstar, Devin Booker, has struggled to finish the close games that other teams are starting to pull out.

There are only 13 games left. On a six-game road trip, the Suns have to play with more urgency. They should beat these teams. They lost to the Timberwolves without Anthony Edwards; they could not get control of the game at all. They lost an embarrassing game to the third-string team. It was against the Chicago Bulls a few weeks back. It is a game that you just can’t lose.

Now they are stuck at the 7th seed. The team can only move up if the T-Wolves lose a few games. They will play without Edwards in the line-up over the next two weeks. The Wolves have a tough schedule for the next few games. This includes two against the East-leading Detroit Pistons. They also have games against Boston, Houston, and a hot Charlotte team.

None of those losses would mean much of anything if the Suns don’t start stringing together wins. After playing the Spurs, the Suns have a home slate of winnable games. The team needs to win these games to make one more push at the 6th seed.

The Suns are not playing the way they did earlier. That style shocked the sports world in the first half of the season. The ball movement has slowed, and they have become an iso team, with Booker and Green taking turns. This style of play was what made them a bad team with Durant, Beal, and Booker.

The playoff race has reached the point where teams reveal their true identity. The Suns are a mediocre team. They cannot elevate their game to the next level to prepare for the Playoffs. Star players should demonstrate urgency. They need to lock in and elevate their teams to the next level. Booker has failed to lift his team. He is spending more time trying to get whistles from the referees because of his status. Instead, he should play through the difficulties to elevate his teammates.

Let’s face it, this season has been good, considering this team was projected to finish last in the West. Every new team has to go through adversity. They lose big games trying to reach their goals. Along the learning journey, the team needs to progress, not go backward.

The injuries have derailed the Suns from the dominant defensive team they were earlier in the season. The return of Jalen Green may contribute significantly to this. He spent several games trying to get his legs under him.

The return of Dillon Brooks will be interesting. Watching both him and Booker attack referees will shorten this team’s playoff run. Both these guys must get under control for the good of the team as leaders. Booker wants the refs to know he is not getting calls on every play. This has become his focus, rather than concentrating on the game and elevating his teammates. The fans are starting to sound off about his antics.

most people prefer the victim mentality, and that's how losers roll. There's no reason Booker can't train himself to level up mentally. Whining is a toddler's game.😩. Man up!

— Mephibosheth (@mflixx1) March 18, 2026

The main reason they are a 7th-seed team is that they are a small team. They get beaten up on the glass every night. In a playoff series, the paint will be critical. The Suns’ bigs don’t generate much scoring or rebounding. The Suns rely heavily on the three-point shot. This strategy can be disastrous in the playoffs. It will win you a few games in the early rounds, but to advance, you need a paint presence. The Suns have no paint presence yet. Their bigs are still young guys making their way in the league. This will remain the case until Mark Williams returns. Even he is not much of a threat. The team is overly focused on three-point shots, so they don’t go to the middle or the post.

We have observed the impact of a lack of paint presence in nearly every game. This issue has persisted for the Suns in the second half of the season. There is a scoring drought for several minutes during crucial moments. There are games where the Suns go without scoring for as long as five minutes. This is the result of shooting so many threes; the three-point shot is an up-and-down shot. There are not many teams that can shoot the three at a high clip every night.

The team’s playoff run will be short. They need to adopt an attitude and grit. They need to fight like they did in the first half of the season. This is the part of the season when teams should be playing their best basketball. The Suns are down a few key guys, making this a difficult feat.