The Suns were the 4th ranked offense this season and the 9th ranked defense.
They're one of just three teams to make the playoffs with a top 10 offense and top 10 defense (others are Milwaukee and Utah).
In the post-season so far, Phoenix has the 2nd best defensive efficiency and are ranked 7th in offensive efficiency.
I think if you want to seriously look at the question of "Which title winner was most aided by an injury?" you have to look for a team that did not play at a contending level in the regular season, and that in the post-season did not seem to actually play especially well, but made it through thanks to some timely injuries.
The top choice would be a team that looked like it was actually going to lose the title series until the opponent's best player (or second best player, perhaps) suffered an injury. You need a title matchup where it's very hard to argue that the team that won would have won even if not for injuries to the opponent.
I'm not sure which team off the top of my head fits the above description, but so far the Suns don't fit the bill. The Suns are playing well enough that it's entirely plausible that they could win it all even if some of the other contenders weren't dealing with so many key injuries.
Unfortunately, they’re playing hurt teams so we won’t know. Anyway, Jazz/Clips might beat them.
The point is that we have ample evidence that the Suns are a very good team. It seems reasonable that even if they weren't facing "hurt teams," that they would be very competitive.
Hence I don't it's fair to suggest that they're being historically aided by injuries. The Lakers were a worse team this year than the Suns. Same with the Nuggets.
I'm with ya Pho.
Regardless, feel free to call it "the most injury aided". Fact of the matter is, if the Suns win - the no.2 of the regular season won. So statistically it's really not that much of a stretch to argue they were the best this year. Best ability, availability. End.
Not to mention that it would likely mean that they defeated:
- Lebron
- MVP Jokic
- Either Kawhi or DPOY + 6MOY
- Either Embiid or Giannis
Not exactly easy pickings
I mean it doesn't help that Davis was hurt in the first round and as I recall even if the Lakers were worse than last year, they still pushed the Suns until Davis got hurt and the Lakers couldn't respond. Also Murray was out for the year. Sometimes you're really fortunate with other team's misfortune and there's nothing wrong with pointing that out.
I mean CP3 was also really hurt in games 1 and 2, it goes both ways. They could've been up 2-0 before Davis got hurt, and judging from how they've played with CP3 being Booker's partner afterwards it's highly likely that they would've clobbered the Lakers even if Davis was healthy.
Highly likely? That is just nonsense. They certainly could have still won, but the 1 time they played in the regular season with Davis (and no James) the Lakers won by 13. They played once with James and no Davis and the Suns won by 10. The 3rd game the Lakers didn't have Davis or James and the Suns won by 17. All 3 games the Suns had their starting lineup in tact. Which is pretty consistent for both teams during the regular season i.e. the Suns were super healthy and the Lakers not so much after the first 27 games.
During the regular season the Lakers were 19-8 with both James and Davis which was on pace for the exact same record as the Suns this year (and that includes the game Davis got hurt that they lost). The Lakers were 21-6 after the last full game Davis played before he got hurt (which would have been on pace for the best record in basketball). To act like the injuries to Davis and James didn't affect the Lakers season is just strange. The Lakers were dominating to start the year. Entirely predictable that both Davis and James would get hurt at some point given Davis' injury history and James' age, but just because it is predictable doesn't mean the outcome won't be changed. It is also entirely predictable that Paul would get hurt at some point given his injury history as well, especially given he played basically the full season. And when he does it will possibly alter the outcome of a series as well. Just because an injury is predictable doesn't mean it might not affect an outcome.
The same holds true for the Nets. Entirely predictable that Harden and Irving would have an injury at some point this post season. Doesn't mean the Bucks aren't benefitting from them though.
