The Phoenix Suns aren’t known as a franchise that prides itself on defense. Quite the opposite, as you know. From Run-and-Gun to Seven Seconds or Less, the Suns have been known as a high-scoring team who more often than not tries to outscore their opponents rather than hold their opponents to as few points as defensively possible.
Once upon a time, this was not the truth.
In the late 90s and early 2000s, the NBA went through a slowing down faze that bored basketball fans the world ’round. Scoring was at all-time lows, the game was excruciatingly slow, and teams – like the Phoenix Suns – who were never known as defensive stalwarts, suddenly were.