I’m trying Ringo, I’m trying really hard…These words from Samuel L. Jackson’s character Jules in Quentin Tarantino’s iconic film Pulp Fiction have been ringing in my head since the Phoenix Suns’ latest loss to an undersized opponent.
Times are tough right now for the Phoenix Suns and their fans. The team had high expectations when they raised their salary in the atmosphere and through the second platform. They now feel that weight on their shoulders, as they are 14-13 after 27 games and are in 10th place in the Western Conference standings.Average comes with frustration, because this is supposed to be the year. All the demons that have been living rent-free in our minds since the franchise’s beginnings would finally be brought to justice. However, in true Suns fashion, this has never happened before. Injuries. No defense. Inconsistent offense. Sales. Bad fourth quarter. The list is lengthened increasingly. Is there a glimmer of hope? We are all trying very hard. We try to find positive things. It’s the holiday season, after all. A time of hope and goodwill towards people. Yet our timelines are filled with negativity and frustration, knee-jerk solutions and depressing realities.I racked my brain trying to be as positive as possible. I want to be positive. I have to be positive. So here are some positives. And yes, they may seem forced. I’m trying Ringo…The Suns have KD and Boek There is still hope for one simple reason: These are not the 2016-2017 Phoenix Suns. Once upon a time, the roster was so incredibly decimated and full of untapped potential or players who possessed no talent. There was no hope. There were arenas that were half full and players who didn’t want to be here.We had no hope because we had no reason to hope. No one on the team could perform consistently, and even if they lost games, there was no chance of a turnaround. A turnaround meant draft picks and what the future would bring. The turning point meant The Timeline. This team?They have top-notch Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, who haven’t slowed down. Any team with players of this caliber and competitiveness has the opportunity to turn things around, and do it in the blink of an eye. Oh, and Bradley Beal The fact that this team hasn’t seen the big three play for over 30 minutes is unfortunate. It actually looks a lot like the Suns. Of course, we can’t get what we want, which is to see our first non-organic superteam play. One injury after another robbed us of the joy and wonder we looked forward to on all those hot summer nights. But there’s still a chance they play together, and if they do, they’ll be a tough trio to defend. In 24 minutes played together, the trio is +15. The team scored 69 (giggity) points and shot 52.2% from the field. Bradley Beal, who will hopefully return when we turn our calendars to 2024, will be guarded by the defense man at third. The same reasons will make you believe that this team would be great offensively but it still exists, it’s just waiting.The frustration is justified, but there is hope that it is only temporary.Correctable problemsI hear you. I’m one of you. I’m angry at the lack of connectivity on both ends of the court, the poor rotations, the lack of three-point shooting, and the roster construction that leaves little room for improvement.But if we look at the Suns’ challenges, many of the existing problems can be fixed.ball security, defensive sets and schemes, and offensive execution; This is all correctable. It needs to be addressed and worked on, but it can be done.The Phoenix Suns lose not because of a lack of talent, but because of a lack of intensity and focus. A lack of execution, if you will. There is still hope because these can be corrected. They are not victims of bad basketball because of bad talent trying to play it.They are victims of complacency. Is this a good thing? Oh hell no. But it is correctable. This is literally the plot of every sports movie: the team doesn’t care about each other, the sport, the city, or the coach, the team learns to care about adversity and wins. Like I said, I’m trying. I try my best to find the silver lining. But the only way to overcome the most difficult moments is to overcome them. You can’t ignore them. There is no simple solution, there is no “Firebird and everything will be fine”.What does not kill you only makes you stronger. Or I probably should have killed you.
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