So far this season, the Phoenix Suns have struggled to look like the contender they were supposed to be, owning just a 4-6 record in a league sporting a lot of topsy turvy performances from teams eager to prove they belong with the elits.
Look at the San Antonio Spurs, who trotted out their prized rookie Victor Wembanyama for a coming out party 3-1 week with surprising wins over the suddenly competent Houston Rockets and then Big 1.5 in Phoenix. The Spurs have gone 0-5 since that week, losing by an average of 16 points per game and Wemby back to rookie mode.