Ten days ago, the Suns looked like the NBA’s biggest dumpster fire, having fired coach Earl Watson three games into the season and dealing with point guard Eric Bledsoe requesting a trade on Twitter.
Bledsoe has since been sent home, collecting checks and waiting to be traded, and Jay Triano has taken over as head coach. On Wednesday night, Phoenix came back from a 20-point deficit to take down the Wizards 122-116 to climb to a .500 record for the first time this season at 4-4 and improve to 4-1 without Bledsoe and Watson.
In Bledsoe’s stead, Mike James has taken over as Phoenix’s starting point guard and without Watson at the helm the young Suns’ core has flourished. Devin Booker, Dragan Bender, Josh Jackson, Marquese Chriss, and T.J. Warren have all shown flashes of brilliance in the team’s sudden surge towards respectability.
On Wednesday night, it was Warren that shined brightest of all the young Suns, dropping a career-high 40 points on the Wizards along with 10 rebounds in the comeback win. Warren went 16-of-22 from the field, with none more emphatic than this second quarter drive and dunk.
POSTER TIME! TJ Warren with the slam, this could be the spark we need to put together a come back! #SunsAtWizards https://t.co/hsJe22VjLu
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 1, 2017
Booker added 22 points and five assists, including a thunderous dunk of his own in the third quarter.
BOOKIE COOKIE JUST HAVE A LOOKIE!!! Devin Booker with the SLAM! #SunsAtWizards https://t.co/Hk1JYv0cFR
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 2, 2017
The Suns still shouldn’t be a playoff team in the West, but showing signs of life is a good start for this roster that is still incredibly young. The continued development of those young, budding stars will be the most important part of this season, and if early returns are an indicator, getting rid of Watson and Bledsoe was a good step.
