Suns Make Leap in Pacific Division Odds to +1400 After Beating Undefeated Sixers
- Suns off to surprising 5-2 start under new head coach Monty Williams
- Phoenix beat previously undefeated Sixers on Monday
- Their odds to win the Pacific Division have shortened drastically since season began
The Phoenix Suns have been one of the early NBA Divisional Odds movers. Riding a hot start to the campaign under Monty Williams, the Suns have shortened to +1400 to win the Pacific Division.
Back on October 29th, their average odds to win the division were +1700. It is now +4450.
They may still be outsiders, but the Suns are one of the stories of the first few weeks of this NBA campaign. Phoenix haven’t had a winning season since 2013-14 and haven’t appeared in the postseason since 2010. There’s a long way to go, of course, but they have inserted themselves into the conversation for a playoff spot.
2019-20 NBA Pacific Division Odds
| Teams | Odds |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Clippers | -200 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +200 |
| Phoenix Suns | +1400 |
| Golden State Warriors | +2500 |
| Sacramento Kings | +10000 |
Odds taken Nov. 6.
Competing With the Best
Phoenix’s great start hasn’t been a case of beating up on depleted opponents and rebuilding franchises. While that would have still been notable considering their record in recent years, the most eyebrow-raising part of this season has been the opponents they have toppled.
Both the Sixers and Clippers – two of the favorites for the NBA title – have suffered defeats at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
It was a Sixers team without Joel Embiid, sure, but that’s still an impressive win for Williams’ Suns. Crucially, too, Phoenix’s two losses have been by a single point with the Denver Nuggets needing overtime to see them off.
Victories haven’t been about riding a hot shooting night or needing lockdown defense either. The Suns are excelling at both ends of the floor. Only three teams rank in the top ten in offensive and defensive ratings; Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns. The Suns ranked 28th and 29th in those categories respectively last season – this has been an extraordinary leap.
Smart Moves
Williams deserves credit for this improvement. The key, though, has been roster construction, and that goes beyond last summer. Phoenix suddenly have NBA-proven depth, the trades to acquire Kelly Oubre and Dario Saric – that’s two-fifths of their starting line-up – were under the radar, shrewd moves.
Tyler Johnson, who arrived in a salary-moving trade with the Heat last season, has provided more than handy bench minutes and is shooting 40% from three. Frank Kaminsky, Aron Baynes and Ricky Rubio were all picked up this summer.
Rubio has finally solved Phoenix’s point guard conundrum; Kaminsky is averaging 11 points per game and Baynes has made it easy to forget about DeAndre Ayton’s absence.
Ariza for Oubre was a sneaky good trade by the Suns — preying on Wiz desperation. Devin Booker is better this season than last, and having better players around him helps, but he was already really good.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) November 5, 2019
As much as Williams has worked wonders, James Jones made a collection of good moves to put him in a position to succeed, a luxury not every Suns head coach has had in recently years.
The Ayton Dilemma
Ayton isn’t due to return until December 17th, by which time the Suns’ season could look very different. On their current trajectory, they will be in the midst of the playoff race, but there are few easy victories on that run – an injury to Devin Booker could change everything.
How Ayton slots back into this team will be fascinating. Baynes – averaging 15 points per game and shooting 48.4% from three – has been immense so far. Baynes’ defense sees the Suns rank ninth in the NBA in paint points given up per game.
Ayton’s defense, meanwhile, is a work in progress.
Phoenix cannot afford to slump on Ayton’s return as they have winnable games against the Thunder, Warriors and Kings over the holidays in December.
Playoff Credentials
Like a lot of teams, the Suns are massively dependent on one player for their scoring. Booker missing 10 or 15 games would derail their season (he ranks 10th in points per game).
If the defense remains at this high level, and they continue to move the ball well (second-most assists per game in the league), they have the potential to be a playoff team. They already have a clear advantage over the Kings and Pelicans and will now see the Mavericks and Timberwolves as their main rivals. The return of Ayton is the biggest risk to their playoff push.
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
