It’s been a winter of discontent for the Phoenix Suns, going from dreams of an NBA Championship to fighting for a playoff berth over the course of two months.
The Suns, who started the season in a tie with Milwaukee and the L.A. Clippers for the second-highest win total on BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona at 52.5, are now on pace to finish below .500, perhaps missing the postseason entirely.
The Suns have skidded to a 6-15 record since Dec. 1, as franchise cornerstones Devin Booker and Chris Paul have missed 31 games between them (out of a total of 86).
The net result is a 21-22 record for a team many considered to be an Arizona NBA betting frontrunner to win the Western Conference.
The team’s recent slide has dropped their championship odds at Arizona sports betting apps to +1600, while the franchise’s Western Conference futures sit at +600 (ranking fifth out of 15 teams).
BetArizona.com wanted to see how the Suns’ slide this season stacks up versus other underachievers in franchise history.
Worst Seasons vs. Preseason Total
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How the 2022-23 Suns Stack Up
The Suns’ current .488 winning percentage would project to a season finish with 40 wins, placing them 12.5 behind where Arizona online sportsbooks projected.
That would be the franchise’s largest miss when it comes to single season win totals in seven years, when Phoenix went 23-59 after having a projected total of 36.5.
This season would be the worst drop-off, versus preseason win total, of any Suns team ranked in the top 10 by that category. The next best squad was in 2003, when Mike D’Antoni coached Phoenix to a 29-53 record after oddsmakers gave them the 12th-highest win total preseason (45.5).
The Suns are currently on pace to have their fourth season where they miss their preseason win total by 10 victories or more, all of which have occurred this century.
For now, this year’s Suns team is tasked with righting the ship without Paul, who continues to battle a nagging hip injury, as well as Cameron Johnson and Landry Shamet, who are rehabbing knee and hip injuries.
That turnaround quest begins in Minneapolis tonight, when the Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves meet at 6 p.m. Arizona time.
Oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona have the Suns at +166 and +5.5 in the showdown at Target Center.
Phoenix plays Memphis on the road Monday, before capping off January with home games against Brooklyn, Indiana, the Grizzlies, Charlotte and Dallas.
