Solar Flares: Phoenix Suns News 11/28 - 12/5

In the last seven days (11/28-12/5), the Phoenix Suns played four games - splitting a pair against Utah, losing in Memphis and taking down the Rockets in Houston. It's still incredibly hard to get a firm handle of this team, as they've developed a tendency to be inconsistent enough to make fans wonder if they're a legitimate playoff team one day and question where they'll land in the draft lottery the next day.

Phoenix only has two games on its slate for the next seven days - a game against the Raptors at home on Friday, 12/6 and a visit to LA to face the Lakers on Tuesday, 12/10, when Kobe Bryant might grace the Suns with his return to NBA basketball.

Let's now take a look at some random Suns-related content that floated around various parts of the internet this last week.

Power Rankings

Most of these power rankings were published earlier in the week, so keep in mind that they haven't accounted for the two losses to Sacramento.

CBS Sports (Dec. 2) - #13:

Still hanging in there despite all reason and logic. Jeff Hornacek is doing some work in the Valley.

Sports Illustrated (Dec. 2) - #11:

Markieff and Marcus Morris are thriving after being reunited in Phoenix, with both averaging career bests in points, rebounds and minutes. It's too bad Eric Bledsoe doesn't have a twin brother.

ESPN (Dec. 2) - #10:

Last Monday's 15-point loss in Miami was the first (and only) double-digit defeat of the season for Jeff Hornacek's scrappers. Suns fans will surely learn to live with Saturday's home L to the Jazz once someone reminds them that Portland is 0-2 in Phoenix thus far and 14-1 everywhere else.

USA Today (Dec. 1) - #13:

Playing one Morris at a time is like saving a Twix bar for later: It makes sense, but you wont do it.

NBC Sports (Dec. 2) - #14

I’m as stunned as anyone to see them crack the Top 10, but they are outscoring opponents by 6.6 points per 100 possessions. Channing Frye has shaken off the rust and his shooting from three is spacing the floor and sparking the offense.

Preposterously Premature Playoff Picture

Suns sit at 9th in the west, just a game behind the 8th-seeded Warriors. Somehow, someway, the Suns are managing to stay in the playoff picture in the rugged western conference.

Link of the Week

ESPN Insider ranked the NBA's rookie head coaches and the Suns' Jeff Hornacek deservedly came in at #1:

1. Jeff Hornacek, Phoenix Suns
Plus-6.1 (Expected wins: 3.4 through 18 games / Pythagorean wins: 9.5 through 18 games)

The early reviews on Hornacek have been universally positive. ATH projected the Suns as the worst team in the league. After winning at Houston on Wednesday, the Suns stand at 10-9. Phoenix has leaped from 29th to ninth in offensive efficiency and has improved four spots in the defensive rankings. Hornacek has ridden excellent shot selection to the NBA's sixth-best effective field goal percentage. The preseason Suns were angling for the top spot in the 2014 draft, so maybe Hornacek is doing too good of a job.

Plays of the Week

Bledsoe's steal and slam against the Jazz:

PJ Tucker shutting down James Harden:

Tweets of the Week

This hilarious exchange between the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns' Twitter accounts:

@trailblazers We asked you to keep that on the down low. That eager to get rid of us already?

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 4, 2013

@Suns Well played

— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 4, 2013

Bright Sider of the Week

Bright Sider of the Week goes to.............Mike Lisboa! He always posts great comments, but one in particular was fantastic - his analysis (and defense) of Channing Frye in this game recap was one of the most well thought-out and articulated comments I've ever seen on this site and really deserved to be its own post. Thanks, Mike!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Any other news you'd like to share? Any suggestions for what else you'd like me to do/include in these weekly segments (I'm open to anything!)? As always, feel free to discuss below!