Tread carefully, Thunder fans…you’re now entering ‘The Dark Side’, our Q&A with the best bloggers in the business covering rival teams. For most of the season, the Phoenix Suns held onto the eighth-seed in the Western Conference standings. But, following a recent shakeup of the roster, the Suns have dropped out of the playoff race and the Thunder – winners of seven straight – have taken their place. We talk to Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet), editor of FanSided’s Valley of the Suns, to get his perspective on the postseason battle and the impacts trades have made on both teams.
The Suns were a surprise last season and fell just short of making the playoffs. Has that put a target on this year’s team?
I wouldn’t say a target, but the Suns definitely took some teams by surprise last year and this season, nobody’s made the mistake of taking them lightly. That, along with the vastly improved West and the whole three-PG dilemma, can help explain why the Suns aren’t quite where they were last season. For Phoenix fans, last year’s out-of-the-blue success led to expectations for 2014-15, and that’s probably why this year has felt so disappointing.
The Suns shook up their roster pretty significantly before the trade deadline. What do you think of the moves overall?
Overall, I thought general manager Ryan McDonough did a decent job putting together some deals at the last minute. Goran Dragic only gave the Suns 48 hours notice he wasn’t planning on re-signing, after all. McD cleared the backcourt logjam and shipped out a great 28-year-old point guard to bring in a very good 23-year-old point guard in Brandon Knight. Youth and future assets continue to be the focus, so even though the trading of the protected Lakers pick is the leading cause of kicked inanimate objects in the Bourguet household, you could only expect so much under that kind of pressure.
I’ve been watching the Thunder intently…because Russell Westbrook is like NBA cocaine
In terms of how the roster is currently constructed, does this impact the Suns’ short-term goal of making the postseason?
Absolutely. The only other problem I had with the deals McDonough made is they didn’t fix many of Phoenix’s problem areas — rebounding and defense in particular. (For example, I had been dead-set on the Suns putting a package for Taj Gibson together. Had Derrick Rose‘s injury come a few weeks earlier, do you think the Bulls would’ve turned down a package centered around Isaiah Thomas or Goran Dragic for Taj?) I like that Archie Goodwin now gets his chance to actually play, but there’s no way such a midseason roster upheaval will lead to the postseason.
OKC made some moves at the deadline themselves and look stronger and deeper than ever. Have you seen how the new players fit in and what do you like/dislike from an “outsider’s” perspective?
I’ve been watching the Thunder intently for the last few months, not only because Russell Westbrook is like NBA cocaine, but also because they’ve been Phoenix’s biggest competition for the eighth spot. From an outsider’s perspective, OKC nailed their deadline moves, which is another reason Phoenix’s trades feel so underwhelming. Enes Kanter gives the Thunder a much-needed interior scorer who can also spread the floor. Kyle Singler is shooting nearly 41 percent from downtown this season and can ease the minutes for Kevin Durant and his ailing foot. D.J. Augustin represents an upgrade over Reggie Jackson if only for the fact that he’s not constantly sulking. Oklahoma City was already a safe bet to make the playoffs before the deadline. After the fact, they’re pretty much a lock.
Lastly, is there a particular matchup in tonight’s game that you’re looking forward to the most?
I’m looking forward to seeing Enes Kanter and Alex Len do battle, but I’d be crazy to pick anything other than Russell Westbrook vs. Eric Bledsoe. (Although Russell Westbrook vs. Russell Westbrook’s career high might be in play here as well.) Bledsoe has shown quite a few times this season that he can defend star point guards and both these players are phenomenal athletes, but Westbrook is on a whole different level right now. If the Suns keep this close and Westbrook has to play big minutes, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Russ drop 50 tonight.