What We Learned From Suns Comeback vs Kings

There were some valuable things that could be taken from the Suns victory against the Kings.

The Phoenix Suns (22-18) overcame a nearly insurmountable 22-point deficit with just over eight minutes left in the game to shock the Sacramento Kings last night. 

Suns head coach Frank Vogel potentially had his finest moments as the leader of the locker room in the contest - opting to close the game with a five-out, smaller lineup that included Kevin Durant playing center. 

The Kings had absolutely no answer to this little-used lineup on either side of the ball, as the Suns outscored them 32-8 to close the game. 

While Phoenix looked largely hapless for the first 40 minutes, the squad showed real fight to close the game and have given fans a renewed sense of confidence going forward. 

Three things Suns fans learned about the team last night: 

Suns Have Prime Opportunity to Climb Standings 

The Suns are in a great spot despite the modest 22-18 start nearly halfway into the season. 

Phoenix still sits in the play-in at the eight seed, but only sit one and a half games out of the five spot. 

The Suns also coincidentally play two teams they are chasing within the next week - the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks. 

The Suns also finish the month with a pair of contests against the Indiana Pacers - who have been dealing with the absence of Tyrese Haliburton, the middling Chicago Bulls, and the sinking Brooklyn Nets. 

If Phoenix can take advantage of a reasonable stretch of games over the next two weeks, we could be looking at the team sitting as high as the number five seed - with potential for more upward mobility going into the All-Star break.

Divide Between Staff, Players Appears to be Shrinking

The bold move from Vogel to close the game against Sacramento with the five-out lineup showed a level of trust that's finally beginning to be built between coaching staff and players. 

This season has been fairly tumultuous for a staff that was praised prior to the beginning of the season for it's diversity, the number of pure basketball minds, and the proven track records of every member of the staff.

The luster of a title-winning head coach and decorated assistant staff wore off by Christmas, however. 

Many in the Suns community began comparing Vogel to former Suns coach Terry Porter- who was fired just 51 games into his tenure during the 2008-09 season. 

Reports began circulating that Vogel and lead assistant Kevin Young weren't seeing eye-to-eye, and the disconnect between the two coaches extended to the locker room. 

Some of these reports likely had merit, as a connected team and coaching staff wouldn't be failing to make basic defensive rotations in the second quarter of a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

While some of this disconnect still remains, it appears as if the level of disconnect is shrinking. 

Phoenix's big three appears to be getting more comfortable alongside one another, the rotations are tightening up, the defense has been able to get more timely stops, and the offense in general appears to be inching towards finding a solid identity to move forward with. 

Suns Still Need to Make Move(s)

While the trajectory of this team still appears to be looking upwards, the front office needs to continue to exhaust options to improve the team going into the home stretch- as the trade deadline is set for February 8. 

The talk of acquiring a "traditional" point guard has largely died, but the need for an athletic wing and potentially a backup center remain. 

Drew Eubanks has struggled mightily since early December and Bol Bol is a player that has proven to be helpful in small doses but isn't strong enough to hold up at the rim consistently.

Keita Bates-Diop and Yuta Watanabe have the ability to break out eventually, but neither have delivered thus far. 

The Suns could be in play for a number of potential upgrades- whether it's in the trade or buyout market. 

James Jones and co. need to kick the tires on any player that can both be an exemplary fit on this team and a clear upgrade over what they have currently. 

The Suns' next contest will be a road trip to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night in a game that could help the squad inch closer to getting out of play-in range.