ESPN continues to brutally disrespect the Phoenix Suns

By mid-November, the Phoenix Suns certainly seem to have surprised those associated with the NBA with a record over .500 (8-6 at the time of writing).

After trading future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets and cutting bait with Bradley Beal — essentially paying him not to play for the Suns by opting out and extending his contract – Phoenix is ​​relying on Devin Booker and a group of solid role players around him to compete.

Early results are promising, especially since trade acquisition Jalen Green has been injured all but five quarters of the season so far. But when you look under the hood, there is certainly cause for concern.

Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer Alex Speers said on a recent episode of The Athletic’s NBA Daily show with Andrew Schlect that the Suns’ soft schedule early on explains their record.

They note that 10 of the 13 games the Suns played prior to a brutal loss to the Atlanta Hawks came against eight teams ranked in the bottom 10 in offense and defense.

That doesn’t mention the fact that wins against the New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Clippers, to name a few, came against opponents who were in significant injury trouble.

Of course, the idea is to beat bad and/or injured teams at this level. You won’t be a play-off team at the end of the season if you can’t take advantage of the scheduled matches where the betting market expects you to win.

Still, the Suns’ steady start doesn’t seem to be fooling anyone.

In a recent list of all 30 NBA teams compiled by ESPN’s Zach Kram and Kevin PeltonPhoenix was included in their “Play-in Dreamers” level. The one level below that is titled “Barren for Darryn” – listing the league’s lowest feeders who could be in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick next year to potentially select Kansas star Darryn Peterson.

That bottom tier included the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets and Pacers, the latter of which simply looked lost without Tyrese Haliburton healthy.

At a record level, the Suns stand out like a sore thumb in their group with the Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets and Pelicans. All of these teams have worse win-loss numbers than the Suns.

But it wasn’t all bad reviews for Phoenix, as Pelton wrote: “The best vibes at this level, surprisingly, belong to the Suns. With Devin Booker playing at an All-NBA level and Collin Gillespie filling in for the injured Jalen Green, Phoenix is ​​making an early case for fitness because of the talent lost when Durant was traded and Bradley Beal was bought out last summer.”

Hey, we’re taking ‘best vibes’.

Read more: The former Sun standout is struggling after another change of scenery

That said, vibes alone can’t make a playoff team. The Suns, at the time of writing, are in the running for a play-in spot once the playoffs arrive, but they have plenty to prove to doubters in the upcoming competition.

If Phoenix can continue to weather the storm with Green sidelined and potentially start beating teams above them in the standings, maybe the ESPNs of the world will start to give the Suns respect beyond their vibes.