The Surprising Suns And Spurs

Since basketball has returned inside the bubble, there have been tons of surprises. TJ Warren has exploded onto the scene, the best team in basketball lost to Brooklyn's G-League team, and the Raptors have looked like the best team in the Eastern Conference. However, if we want to talk about big surprises, we have to talk about the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns. As it stands, the Spurs are currently 2-1 since arriving in the bubble and they sit as the 10th seed. Meanwhile, the Suns are 3-0 and are coming off a game where they just knocked off the Los Angeles Clippers.

These two teams have both been awesome since arriving in the bubble and I think it's safe to say that we were sleeping on them the whole time. Today, we will look at why each team has been so successful, what they can do to improve, and how good of a shot each team has to make the NBA playoffs.

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San Antonio Spurs

Via: Air Alamo

The San Antonio Spurs have enjoyed a hot start to the bubble. So far, they've knocked off the Kings and the Grizzlies and came extremely close to be the Philadelphia 76ers. I've always been a believer that the Spurs should blow it up and commit to their young guys. Instead of doing that, they combined their veteran players with their young guys and have found success in doing so.

The first player I want to highlight is Demar Derozan. Derozan has always been a terrific scorer and has become a better playmaker and rebounder since joining the Spurs, but was always a one-dimensional scorer in reality. However, he has improved greatly since entering the bubble. So far, he's averaging around 7 assists per game and had 10 assist in their game versus the Kings. He's helping set up the younger guys for easier buckets and leading by example. He's also been much better defensively, as you can see him often trapping guys in the post, rotating quickly, and putting a lot more defensive effort. Props to Demar for helping to lead these young guys.

The Spurs have also started to embrace their younger players a lot more. Keldon Johnson from the G-League has been doing extremely solid off the bench, Lonnie Walker is doing good despite him getting limited playing time, and Dejounte Murray has had several solid games including a 21-10-3 performance. All three of these guys are energetic, high level defenders who can attack the basket and shoot the three ball. It'll be very important to see how much the Spurs embrace these guys in their upcoming games because they all deserve big minutes.

Lastly, the veteran role players have been doing particularly well. Rudy Gay has averaged about 15 PPG on good efficiency and he's come up clutch in several late game scenarios. Derrick White may not be a veteran per say but he has stepped up his game big time. Against, the 76ers, he hit several big three pointers and has scored 20, 16, and 26 points in their three games. Even Patty Mills has been solid off the bench for them.

My Biggest Complaint: The lack of minutes for Lonnie Walker

Lonnie Walker is an extremely good player. He can attack the basket, he can shoot the three ball, he can defend, he can rebound, and he's shown willingness to get others involved. However, for whatever reason, the Spurs have yet to give him big time minutes and he only played 19 minutes against the 76ers. Walker is a stud and he should absolutely be getting more minutes for this team and once he does, they'll be even more successful

To sum things up, the Spurs look awesome. First off, they're fun to watch which is something that has really surprised me. They've embraced some of their younger players, their veterans have stepped up, and this team is extremely hungry. Their intensity that they play with is remarkable and their hustle on both sides of the ball is unmatched. This team is legit and they've done a great job so far.

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Phoenix Suns

Via: Bright Side of the Sun

The Phoenix Suns were one of the biggest jokes heading into the NBA restart but they've played sensational since coming in. They're the only team that is 3-0 and they just came off a game where Devin Booker hit a buzzer beater to win against the Los Angeles Clippers. How are they doing this? Well the answer is quite simple.

The Phoenix Suns are a talented team. Looking at their roster, they have an All-Star in Devin Booker who's averaging 26 PPG and 6 APG for this team. They've also got DeAndre Ayton who is sneakily averaging a double-double with near 20 PPG. He's also improved tremendously as a defender and has shot some threes and connected on them in some games. Ricky Rubio has also been very good offensively and defensively. He's set guys up, knocked down threes, and just looked like a great player.

They're young guys are impressing me as well. Mikal Bridges was one of my breakout picks for the bubble and he's been a great perimeter defender. Cam Johnson has been knocking down threes and he's looked like he was deserving of the 11th pick in the draft. Dario Saric has also been doing what he does best: hitting threes and grabbing boards.

Their bench has also been great too. Jevon Carter has been playing solid defense, Frank Kaminsky has been a decent stretch big, and Cameron Payne (who I thought was out of the NBA) looks really good and is currently averaging 10 PPG on 50/50/100. The Suns have been playing great team basketball.

My Biggest Complaint: Mikal Bridges' lack of aggressiveness

One big thing that's really bothered me was that Bridges wasn't taking advantage of the opportunity he was getting. Finally, he has a chance to be a starter and prove himself to Phoenix and yet, all he does is stand in the corner and shoot threes. I'd love to see him try and create his own shot and attack the basket to see if he can expand his offensive game because I think he has a ton of talent, he just needs to use it.

But, I do like the Suns a lot. While I'm not quite sure that they will make the playoffs, here's what I will say: this team will surprise some people. They've got the talent and the determination to make it and I think that they will come close even if they don't make it.

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Do These Teams Have A Realistic Chance To Make The Playoffs?

The answer to this question is an emphatic yes. These teams have exactly what it takes to make a serious run. The 8th seed is wide open right now. The Kings have been playing awful, the Pelicans have an easy schedule but they look really bad, and the Grizzlies just lost Jaren Jackson Jr.

Both the Suns and the Spurs have a talented roster. They've got the young guys to be energetic and the steady veteran play. They also have good benches with great coaches at the helm. Both teams are also hungry to go out and compete in these games.

Again, I'm still going with my original pick in the Portland Trail Blazers, but I believe the hype for the Spurs and the Suns. Are they going to beat the Lakers? Of course not, but they could most definitely get the 8th seed and they've shown massive signs of promise and potential and I'm excited to see what they can do.

Editors Note: This was written before the end of the Nuggets-Spurs game

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