Suns Surge in New NBA Power Rankings
PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns got their swagger back this past week, and their standings in various NBA power rankings throughout the web:
ESPN: No. 9 (previously No. 11)
Dave McMenamin: Kevin Durant is primed to make history this week as he needs 53 points to pass Shaquille O'Neal for No. 8 on the NBA's all-time scoring list. To do it in his 17th season while he's still near the top of his game should only make the feat more impressive. Durant, 35, is fourth in the league in scoring this season with 28.5 points per game -- the seven other players in the top eight are in their 20s.
NBA.com: No. 9 (previously No. 11)
John Schuhmann: "The Suns are playing 17 of their final 22 games against teams with winning records. They’re 2-2 (1-2 against the winning teams) on that stretch so far, getting an overtime win in Denver on Tuesday. ... The Suns are playing nine of their next 11 games on the road, facing the top three teams in the Eastern Conference on the four-game trip that begins Monday in Cleveland. They’ll have a rest advantage against the Cavs, who are the one East team they’ve yet to face."
The Athletic: No. 7 (previously No. 8)
Zach Harper: "Who’s their clutch guy? Devin Booker | 71 points, 22-of-48 (45.8 percent) FG
"Who has struggled? Grayson Allen | 18 points, 4-of-13 (30.8 percent) FG
"Kevin Durant is shooting only 36.4 percent in the clutch this season, so you could say he’s the guy struggling considering he takes the most shots on the team. But his free-throw shooting and defense have been pretty reliable. Allen and Jusuf Nurkić (40.0 percent) haven’t been able to make it happen in crunchtime. I highlighted Allen here because it’s such a stark difference from his shooting at all other times, and he’ll have to knock down some big 3-pointers in the playoffs. Booker continues to be as good as it gets when the game is in the balance. His 3-point shooting has been bad, but everything else has been excellent. And he doesn’t turn it over."
Sports Illustrated: No. 8 (previously No. 9)
Chris Mannix: "Frank Vogel offered an emphatic “Nope” when asked if the Suns’ turnover problems—Phoenix is 26th in the league in that category—were connected to a lack of a traditional point guard. But turnovers are a problem in the Valley, one magnified by the fact that with a month to go in the season, the Kevin Durant-Devin Booker-Bradley Beal trio has played just 480 minutes together. Booker returned from an ankle injury Monday."
CBS Sports: No. 5 (previously No. 15)
Colin Ward-Henninger: "The Suns got back on track this week, stopping the Nuggets' steamroller in overtime in Denver before beating the Raptors and Cavs. Their only loss came in a hard-fought battle with the Celtics. Much to Suns fans' delight, Devin Booker returned for the win in Cleveland, putting up 27 points on 22 shots in 38 minutes -- just like riding a bike ... or one of his vintage cars."
