Suns need to clear up this Achilles heel before the play-offs

After reshaping their identity from a season ago following Kevin Durant’s blockbuster trade, the Phoenix Suns went from missing the postseason to being in the thick of the Western Conference playoffs.

Their offensive rating of 115.7 puts them in the middle of the pack at No. 15 in the NBA, while their defensive rating of 113.2 puts them No. 8 in basketball, just a season after finishing 28th in that category, according to Basketball Reference.

The offense should only improve as guys like Devin Booker and Jalen Green get healthy, while the defense remains the team’s calling card. The Suns are among the league leaders in steals, deflections and loose balls collected.

While likely not a title contender, the Suns are a competitive team who could undoubtedly make noise in the playoffs as an underdog.

That said, the Suns simply need to address their biggest Achilles heel holding them back.

Suns need to clean up the frequency of technical, blatant fouls

While a major reason for the Suns’ turnaround this season is rooted in their hustle, perseverance and willingness to play tough basketball every night, the downside remains the frequency with which the Suns pick up technical and flagrant fouls.

Dillon “The Villain” Brooks has changed the culture in Phoenix and is a major reason for their defensive turnaround, but he currently leads the league with 14 technical fouls – two away from a mandatory one-match suspension. Book isn’t far behind with seven technical skills of his own, which ranks fifth in the NBA.

In terms of flagrant fouls, Brooks is second in the league with four flagrants – just behind Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who has collected five such fouls. Also in this category is Grayson Allen, whose two flagrants are tied for 10th in the league. That includes this push from Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren that drew a viral response from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:

Tempers also flared during the Suns’ Jan. 27 win over the lowly Brooklyn Nets, where six technical fouls and two flagrant fouls were called over the course of the game. One of those flagrants was charged to Allen, who followed up his own frustration over a no-call with a shove from a Nets player.

“I feel like as the game went on, the line between a no-call and an altercation became very, very thin,” Allen said. said after the game.

Allen’s flagrant 1 foul joins the previous flagrant 2 he picked up, giving him three points for flagrant fouls this season. Under NBA rules, a player automatically receives a one-game suspension if he scores more than five points due to flagrants. Brooks has four flagrant 1 fouls and is also approaching suspension territory that he’s already flirting with in terms of technical fouls.

Brooks, in particular, will have to be especially careful for the remainder of the season, provided league officials appear to keep him on a leash when it comes to calling technicals and flagrants.

More often than not, his reputation benefits him in that regard.

So while the Suns playing with fire and intensity is often a good thing, it has a clear and obvious downside.

At the time of writing, only one game separates the No. 4 from the No. 7 in the West. A one-game suspension for Brooks or Allen moving forward could result in a loss for the Suns that they cannot afford in terms of the standings.

Playing with fire is the Suns’ greatest strength, but it could test them if they continue to bring up technicals and flagrants at the rate we’re seeing.