Phoenix Suns Playing Their Best Basketball Amid Nash Rumors

Despite uncertainty surrounding the future of Steve Nash, the Phoenix Suns are playing their best basketball of the season right now.

The Suns currently sit at 19-22, just three games out of eighth place in the Western Conference playoff picture. The Houston Rockets currently hold the eighth spot at 23-20.

Since a win against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 19, the Suns beat the Washington Wizards, lost by two to the Golden State Warriors and rattled off a five-game home winning streak (losing on the road to Oklahoma City, the best in the West, in between those five).

Had the Suns been able to grit out a tough home loss to the now Rubio-less Timberwolves, they would be sporting an even more impressive six-game home winning streak.

Unfortunately, the Suns lost by three, watching Kevin Love take over in the fourth quarter.

Even with the tough loss to another team trying to trek their way into the playoff picture, the Suns have been exciting. Especially when you consider that three of the wins during the five-game home win streak came against the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies.

In their last 10 contests, the Suns have a record of 7-3. Among all teams in the West in their last ten games, that’s the best mark, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder (all playoff teams). If you include the entire NBA in their last 10 games, only the Chicago Bulls have been better at 9-1.

During their streak, the Suns have been riding the hot hand of Jared Dudley. During their last 10 games in which the team went 7-3, Dudley has averaged 18 points per game. In those 10 games, Dudley failed to reach double-figure scoring just once (he scored eight in a blowout against the Wizards).

The bench production for the Suns has also improved. Head Coach Alvin Gentry has finally seemed to settle in with a consistent second unit, which includes Shannon Brown, Sebastian Telfair, Markieff Morris and Robin Lopez.

Telfair had a great game in the Monday loss to the Timberwolves, scoring 10 points in 16 minutes, including a huge four-point play in the fourth quarter, which he followed up by stealing the inbound pass and laying the ball in for two more. The crowd (and a lot of empty seats) went nuts as the backup point guard scored six points while taking virtually no time off the game clock.

The bench production will continue to be huge for the Suns if they hope to make a playoff push by keeping Nash after the trade deadline.

Currently, there are three teams (excluding the Rockets) that separate the Suns from the eighth seed in the West.

The Portland Trail Blazers, 20-22, are struggling mightily right now. In their past 10 games, they have a 3-7 record. Much of that however, can be contributed to their tough schedule.

Nonetheless, after a 137-97 drubbing of the San Antonio Spurs on February 21, the Blazers have lost to Denver, Miami, Minnesota (twice), Boston and Indiana. Since the blowout of the Spurs, the Blazers have only managed to beat the New Orleans Hornets and Washington Wizards, who have a combined record of 19-64.

The next team standing in the way of the Suns’ playoff hopes is the Minnesota Timberwolves.

At 22-21, the T-Wolves currently hold the number nine spot in the West, just behind the Rockets. But a recent occurrence may have shot down their playoff hopes: the season-ending injury to Ricky Rubio.

Although I don’t doubt for a second that Kevin Love could carry this team to a playoff seed without the exciting young guard, relying on Luke Ridnour for consistency may be too much to ask.

Finally, the last team in the way of Suns' playoff dreams is the Utah Jazz. At 20-21, the Jazz are 5-5 in their last 10 games, but they too had a tough schedule. They even managed to beat the Heat during that 5-5 stretch, no small feat for a team on the outside looking in at a playoff spot.

Their next game comes at home against…you guessed it, the Suns.

With nearly two months left in the regular season, it would be foolish to call this game a must-win for the Suns. But at the same time, this game comes one day before the March 15 NBA trade deadline, and you have to think that a win may lead to more playoff chatter in Phoenix.

I would not have even dreamed of saying this two months, or even a month ago, but the Suns are playing well enough right now to sneak into the playoffs. If the organization’s big plan is to keep Nash with the hopes that he re-signs with the club, there’s still a chance the Suns could shock their fanbase and make a playoff push.

If the Suns choose to trade Nash before the deadline, so be it. But if they make the decision to keep Nash through the final year of his contract, making the playoffs has to be the goal. Even if the Suns only sneak in as an eight seed and get struck by the Thunder.