See Where Suns Land in Week 20 NBA Power Rankings
The Phoenix Suns hope to get Kevin Durant on the court this week, whether that be Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets or Friday against the Chicago Bulls.
Sitting with a 33-29 record, Phoenix currently holds the No. 4 seed in the West. They're 10 games back from the Denver Nuggets, 5.5 back from the Memphis Grizzlies and just three removed from the Sacramento Kings.
The Suns aim to be great in the final 20 games of the season. For now, here's where they fall in two different NBA power rankings:
The Athletic: No. 5
First-quarter grade: A- | Ranked third
Halfway grade: C+ | Ranked 16th
Third-quarter grade: B
Zach Harper: "They’re contenders in these Power Rankings because Kevin Durant is about to join them on the court. It’s reported he’ll try it out on Wednesday. Their grade is low because the time without Devin Booker sunk their record. The Suns are 22-13 when Booker plays, and 11-16 when he doesn’t. What’s that going to look like when they get Durant up to speed individually? What can they build in this final stretch of games to get them ready for the postseason? They have to hit the accelerator for being able to take over the West by the time the first-round hits. But we have smart, high-level guys trying to find chemistry on the fly, and I believe in them to do it."
CBS Sports: No. 10
Colin Ward-Henninger: "In what could be the last week before the dawn of the Kevin Durant era, the Suns beat the Kings and Thunder with losses to the Clippers and Bucks. Buyout acquisition Terrence Ross is already paying dividends, putting up 10.7 points, four rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes per game so far."
