Phoenix Suns Resilient and Focused Heading into Holiday Stretch

The Phoenix Suns and head coach Monty Williams praise the ability of the team to face difficult times.

Author:
Everett Williams
Nov 28, 2022 4:52 PM EST

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The 13-6 Phoenix Suns have enjoyed a successful run thus far being the top team in the Western Conference including some memorable moments on the court. The Suns have been focused on the task at hand all year long with head coach Monty Williams keeping players in check.

Williams spoke to the media about the teams focus around the holiday season and not paying attention to their record saying, “We have not talked about our record at all; we have not talked about any of that stuff. It is just something we do not focus on. We try to focus on the way we play in the first quarter, rebounding for sure at both ends.

"We always feel like if we focus on those things we don’t necessarily have to talk about the other stuff. Just because it is not something anyone brings up. So that is the way I go about it, even though there is a human side of all of us. But I haven’t thought about that to be honest with you until you said that.

We are just going to try to keep growing and get our defense to a level, especially in the first quarter, and try to build on that by setting the tone. We feel like if we do that, we give ourselves a chance to win games.”

*Phoenix Suns and head coach Monty Williams are focused on the task at hand, not the record and outside noise.*

Players are echoing Williams’ focused mindset as well. Deandre Ayton has had plenty to talk about going from his offseason free agency fiasco to the altercation with Lakers guard Patrick Beverly.

The questions surrounding his relationship with the organization and head coach Monty Williams seems to be patched up as well with him expressing his determination and devotion to the team saying, “We play hard for that guy. We go hard for him, play hard for this organization, and play hard for each other. Once we have a great group of guys that are ready to lock in and listen from youngest to oldest it is hard to stop us.”

After the brouhaha in the Laker game, Ayton expressed his mindset after the distractions around him and the team, telling reporters, “This team, we have been embarrassed the last two years, playing the best basketball we have ever played and never finishing it. So, if you think tonight is where we stop it at, nah. You are not looking at the brighter picture.

"We are aiming for something way bigger than that. There are going to be a lot more games and we just have to make sure we keep our head and play hard.”

Suns Center Deandre Ayton remaining focused the rest of the season, looking at the "bigger picture."

The messages Ayton shared last Tuesday reflect the mentality of this resilient Suns team, a message that can be found in their gameplay as well.

Key injuries to Cam Johnson and Chris Paul have forced the Suns to adapt and for the rest of the team to step up in their absence. Role players like Ish Wainwright, Jock Landale, Cam Payne and others have had an enormous impact on the season thus far and have been critical to the main theme of the season for Williams: Collective effort.

Multiple players have stepped up in big role.

It seems like a different player every night has some sort of impact, whether it be defensively or offensively. And the numbers back that up. This season, the Suns have been proud of their completeness of their game, something that could propel them over the top for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Even when the Suns haven’t played their best basketball, they have found ways to win.

After the Suns squeaked out a win Friday night against the Detroit Pistons, head coach Monty Williams revealed that the Suns “…played not necessarily down a level but it wasn’t our normal consistent force and gameplan discipline, especially in pick n’ roll tonight, but I told the guys like, if you can win a game like this, you’re so thankful for it at the end of the year because it could’ve easily gone the other way.”

Championship level teams step up when faced with adversity, and the Suns have faced plenty. When faced with the difficulty of expectations, drama, and running the gauntlet that is the Western Conference this year, teams can crumble.

So far, the Suns have developed an identity and flourished.

Suns looking to make another deep run in the playoffs, fueled by a collective effort mindset.

When asked about what specific thing has led to the teams’ success, Williams admitted, “I would say it’s been a number of things. When you’ve had as many guys as we’ve had out, Cam Johnson, Chris (Paul), Landry (Shamet), DA’s (Deandre Ayton) been out, you have to win different ways I would imagine. We’ve been able to grind and find a way to just score one more point. That’s how we’ve done it.”

The Suns, after all that has transpired, have rallied behind Williams’ words and found a resilient identity, one that could be the difference this year when it matters most.

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