Suns Send Clear Playoff Message: 'The Time is Now'

With just over 20 games left, the Phoenix Suns are hoping to make a serious playoff push.

Not play-in push. Playoff push.

“I think we can make push for sixth and go from there,” Jalen Green said earlier this week (h/t Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic).

Phoenix, currently 35-26 on the year, are just two games back from the Los Angeles Lakers as the West's sixth seed. The Suns won the first of a six-game bracket on their schedule that includes all teams under a .500 record with their next three games coming at home.

“The time is now,” said Suns star Devin Booker. “You could say we’d be in better position right now, but the reality of it is, we’re still not in a bad position. We’re right in the mix. Every game is going to be valuable and important. We still have time to learn and develop that chemistry that we’re going to need.”

Phoenix defeated the Sacramento Kings and will host the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and Charlotte Hornets this weekend in a three-for-four stretch.

The Suns are 11.5 games ahead of missing the play-in tournament completely, which feels like they're essentially stamped into some form of postseason basketball. Yet the West's top six seeds will avoid the play-in entirely.

Seeds 3-7 are all just 3.5 games within each other.

"These are meaningful games," Suns coach Jordan Ott said after the All-Star break." ... All these nights are gonna be competitive, and everyone's gonna bring their best, especially here. We're not sneaking up on anyone. So that's the part of the excitement, that we are here playing meaningful games here throughout the regular season."

Phoenix's surprise run through the season has been fun to watch, though the Suns aren't going to settle on just being a good story this year. They're set on making legitimate noise.

Doing so will require all healthy hands on deck. The star likes of Booker and Green have managed to return to full health while Dillon Brooks still remains out with a fractured hand.

Brooks' timeline for a return was initially projected at 4-6 weeks, which puts him close to the end of March or early April depending on his ability to rehab.

Phoenix is back in action on Thursday. After a four-day break, they appear to be locked, loaded and (mostly) healthy with a big stretch of basketball ahead to close the regular season.