14-3, it looks like a 1st half NFL score; in actuality it is the Phoenix Suns record after 17 games this season. With every passing victory, the non-believers out there have gone into hiding. What is amazing about this early season run is the fact is that 11 of the first 17 games have been on the road. The Suns are the only team remaining in the NBA with an undefeated record at home (6-0). This bodes well for the Suns in the 2nd half of the season as they will only have 26 road games left after this brutal 22 game stretch (7 home and 15 away).  The hilarity of the the schedule makers in the NBA can be seen in the Pacific Division as David Stern’s NBA Lakers start the season with 17 out of the first 21 games at home.

Despite the schedule, the Suns have simply been dominating opponents when they are not playing on back to back nights. 6 players on the Suns are averaging double figures in scoring, accounting for the highest scoring per game in the NBA at 112 ppg. To put this in perspective, in the 2006-2007 regular season where the Phoenix Suns won 61 games they averaged 110.2 ppg and an average margin of victory of 7.3 ppg. The 2009-2010 Suns are winning with a margin of 7.5 ppg. It seems that the Alvin Gentry version of Run & Gun has been slightly more effective that Mike D’Antoni’s 7 seconds or less philosophy.

The resurgence of the Suns coincides with the incredible season Steve Nash is having thus far. There were many detractors out there that said Steve Nash was done and the Suns should not offer him a contract extension. What does Steve Nash come out and do? Well thus far he is having the best season of his career at 35 years old. The 2-time NBA MVP is averaging 12.1 assists per game, .5 higher than his best season of 11.6 apg. In addition, Nash continues his amazing shooting ability as he is averaging 16.4 ppg on 53% shooting from the floor, 44% from 3-point range and 94% at the charity stripe. Finally, Nash is doing this all in less minutes on average (32.1 mpg) than any time in his career in which he was a starter. Does this mean a healthier Steve Nash come playoff time?

As a team the Suns are basically equal statistically in rebounds, assist to turnover ratio, and actually attempt less field goals then their opponents. However, where the Suns are destroying teams is the deadly accuracy of their shooting.  The Suns are shooting 50.7% from the field with the closest competitor being the Utah Jazz at 49.3%. Additionally, from 3-point range the Suns are shooting 44.5% with the closest team being the Cleveland Cavaliers at 43.8%. The drop off is considerable as well after Cleveland as no other team in the NBA is shooting above 40% from downtown.

With the return of Robin Lopez, the Suns can legitimately go 6 deep on their bench and still remain highly competitive. I know this is getting pre-mature, but the Suns are looking better than the team that won 60 games in 2006-2007. The primary competition is going to come from the usual suspects (Lakers and Spurs), however if the Suns can get home court advantage there may be a legit chance at a title run this season. So much for the window closing, for these Suns it is as wide open as the 3’s they are draining.