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Many sites have playoff predictors on them, and not one of those sites currently picks the Phoenix Suns to make the playoffs this season. The Phoenix Suns currently sit in the 9th position in the West, only 2 games out of 6th place and 3.5 games out of 5th.
The problem, of course, is that there are 6 other teams besides the Suns with the same exact goal - to make the playoffs as a 5-8 seed - and all of them are within 5.5 games of each other with 1/4 of the 82-game season still to play.
Can Phoenix move up? Absolutely. Only 2 of their direct competitors have fewer games to play against +.500 competition (13). And no team has more remaining games against losing teams (10) - games that SHOULD be won by playoff-caliber teams at this stage of the season.
The Suns' destiny is in their hands. They just need to grab it.
Hit the jump for a breakdown of each team's remaining schedule, from seeds 5-10 of the current playoff standings.
First, here is the Suns' remaining schedule. Scroll down for bullet-point analysis.
| March | Opponent | Current Record | |
| Fri 04 | @ Milwaukee | 23 | 36 |
| Sun 06 | @ Oklahoma City | 37 | 22 |
| Tue 08 | vs Houston | 31 | 32 |
| Thu 10 | vs Denver | 36 | 26 |
| Sun 13 | vs Orlando | 39 | 22 |
| Mon 14 | @ Houston | 31 | 32 |
| Wed 16 | @ New Orleans | 35 | 28 |
| Fri 18 | vs Golden State | 27 | 33 |
| Sun 20 | @ LA Clippers | 22 | 40 |
| Tue 22 | @ LA Lakers | 43 | 19 |
| Wed 23 | vs Toronto | 17 | 44 |
| Fri 25 | vs New Orleans | 35 | 28 |
| Sun 27 | vs Dallas | 44 | 16 |
| Tue 29 | @ Sacramento | 15 | 44 |
| Wed 30 | vs Oklahoma City | 37 | 22 |
| April | |||
| Fri 01 | vs LA Clippers | 22 | 40 |
| Sun 03 | @ San Antonio | 50 | 11 |
| Tue 05 | @ Chicago | 41 | 18 |
| Wed 06 | @ Minnesota | 15 | 47 |
| Fri 08 | @ New Orleans | 35 | 28 |
| Sun 10 | @ Dallas | 44 | 16 |
| Mon 11 | vs Minnesota | 15 | 47 |
| Wed 13 | vs San Antonio | 50 | 11 |
Phoenix Suns remaining schedule, by the bullets
- 23 games remaining
- 11 at home (6 against +.500 teams)
- 12 on the road (7 against +.500 teams)
- 19 games against Western Conference foes
- 6 games against direct competitors for playoff seed 5-8 (New Orleans - 3, Houston - 2, Denver - 1; 3 at home, 3 on road)
- 20 games remaining
- 8 at home (2 against +.500 teams)
- 12 on the road (10 against +.500 teams)
- 4 games against direct competitors for playoff seeds 5-8 (New Orleans - 1, Phoenix - 1; all on road)
- 21 games remaining
- 11 at home (7 against +.500 teams)
- 10 on the road (8 against +.500 teams)
- 3 games against direct competitors for playoff seeds 5-8 (1 each against New Orleans, Memphis and Utah; 1 at home, 2 on road)
- 19 games remaining
- 11 at home (8 against +.500 teams)
- 8 on the road (7 against +.500 teams)
- 11 games against direct competitors for playoff seeds 5-8 (Phoenix - 3, Memphis - 3, Utah - 2, Houston/Portland/Denver - 1 each; 7 at home, 4 on road)
- 20 games remaining
- 12 at home (6 against +.500 teams)
- 8 on the road (7 against +.500 teams)
- 5 games against direct competitors for playoff seeds 5-8 (New Orleans - 3, Portland/Utah - 1 each; 3 at home, 2 on road)
- 21 games remaining
- 10 at home (7 against +.500 teams)
- 11 on the road (7 against +.500 teams)
- 7 games against direct competitors for playoff seeds 5-8 (Denver - 2, New Orleans - 2, Portland, Houston, Memphis; 4 at home, 3 on road)
- 19 games remaining
- 12 at home (7 against +.500 teams)
- 7 on the road (4 against +.500 teams)
- 4 games against direct competitors for playoff seeds 5-8 (Phoenix - 2, New Orleans, Utah; 2 at home, 2 on road)