NBA: Positive takeaways for the 6 teams eliminated from the bubble

Phoenix Suns: It looks like they’ve finally turned the culture around

The Suns are the UCF of the NBA bubble – undefeated, but won’t get a shot at the playoffs. And like UCF, they had cult-like support from people who weren’t even actual fans of the team and likely would have been quickly eliminated if they had been included in the playoffs. That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have been fun though.

As a life-long fan of making fun of the mistakes the Suns have made as a franchise, I worry that my time is running out. Monty Williams has changed the losing culture in Phoenix in just one season and it feels like they have positive momentum for the first time in a long time.

Of course, it’s easy to feel good about the future after what Devin Booker did in Orlando. Booker is clearly one of the best handful of pure scorers in the NBA at only 23 years old and is surrounded by mostly young talent that has grown up alongside him.

It’s premature to say the Suns should be one of the eight best teams in the Western Conference next season, but they’ll certainly be competitive. And for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010, competitive would be a welcome sight.