Phoenix Suns 2020 Restart - NBA Odds, Picks & Betting Predictions

The Phoenix Suns will be in 13th place in the Western Conference standings when the NBA regular season restarts on July 30. The Suns were 26-39 through 65 games played before the season was halted by the coronavirus outbreak. Phoenix trails 12th place San Antonio by two games but most importantly the Suns trail the 8th place Memphis Grizzlies by six games and will only have only eight games to make up that difference which is next to impossible.

Devin Booker is the leading scorer for Phoenix with an average of 26.1 points per game, while Deandre Ayton is the second leading scorer and leading rebounder with averages of 19.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. Ricky Rubio is the assists leader for Phoenix with an average of 8.9 per game. Kelly Aubrey Jr. is the third leading scorer and second leading rebounder with averages of 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

The Suns had to start the season without big man Deandre Ayton who was suspended for the first 25 games due to testing positive for a diuretic. The absence of Ayton hurt the Suns and since Ayton’s return to the lineup Phoenix has had stretches of excellent play thanks to team high scorer Devin Booker and veterans Aron Baynes and Ricky Rubio who are both playing their first season with the Suns. Although Booker leads the Suns in scoring the biggest surprise thus far has been Kelly Oubre Jr. who is averaging 18.7 points per game and hitting 35.2% of his 3-pointers while also pulling down 6.4 rebounds per game, which is second on the club.

Phoenix lacks experience and depth. The Suns are a very young team as Booker is just 23 years old and that lack of experience could be detrimental to their attempt to reach the postseason. In addition, the Suns have very little depth beyond the first seven players. The two rookies that play the most Ty Jerome and Cameron Johnson have battled injuries. Mikal Bridges started to pick up his game when the season was suspended in March, but did not contribute that well through much of the first half of the regular season.

While almost anything is possible, the probability of the Phoenix Suns reaching the postseason is closed to zero. The Suns trail the eighth place Memphis Grizzlies by six games and only have eight games to make up that difference.  Phoenix will however be a difficult opponent in each of its eight games leading up to the postseason and although the Suns will not qualify for the playoffs they will play a role in which teams do and do not.