Phoenix Suns' Slow Start: Is It Too Early to Panic?

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Game Time Decisions

Suns Face Early Questions as New Pieces Search for an Identity

There were mixed opinions about how many games the Phoenix Suns would win this season, but a good start could have shown fans that things were changing. That has not happened, raising questions about what is going wrong and whether it is too early to panic.

Three games into the season, the Suns are 1-2, and even their lone win did not look particularly convincing. Still, the beginning of a season can be difficult to decipher. If the same issues remain after 10 or 15 games, there will be more reason for concern.

The Suns started 1-4 last season before finishing with 45 wins, so a turnaround is possible. The current concern is whether the pieces they brought in fit and can work together. It is too early to know if that is truly the case, but that is what the early results suggest.

Other teams are also trying to integrate new players or overcome slow starts. Miami is determining whether its new pieces fit, while New York could be dealing with a championship hangover or a difficult early schedule. Different factors can affect teams in different ways.

For Phoenix, the challenge is figuring out how Miles Bridges and a healthy Jalen Green fit around Devin Booker. Booker scored only three points last night in one of the worst games of his NBA career, two nights after scoring 43. The Suns are still working through significant questions about their identity.