3 Ways the bubble has impacted Golden State Warriors

1. Coming of age for Suns

If the New Orleans Pelicans are on the rise, the Phoenix Suns are arriving as real threats. Nobody foresaw the Suns competing for a playoff berth but here we are.

Behind Devin Booker’s 29.4 points and 6.4 assists per game, the Suns are scorched their way to a 5-0 record in the bubble including a huge victory over the LA Clippers. They now stand 0.5 games back from the nine-seed in an incredibly close race with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies.

All the Suns have to do to force a play-in for the final spot is reach the eight or nine seed. They have a tough upcoming schedule but could sneak their way in if they are able to win at least two games and bank on the other teams dropping a few.

The potential impact this has on the Warriors is huge. If the Suns reach the playoffs, that sends some heavy hitters to the lottery. Could you imagine if the Blazers are able to acquire a game-changing player in this year’s draft? They would become a very difficult team to beat next year.

What about the Suns themselves? Is this the step they needed to finally become competitive in the West? Will they be able to add enough talent in the offseason to make another jump and become another nagging team to the Warriors’ title hopes? Only time will tell. But, for now, keep a close eye on what’s brewing in Phoenix.