Large adult Suns: Is it time to start believing in Phoenix?

It takes a long time, and a great deal of evidence, to convince people that a prevailing trend is finally shifting. You'd be forgiven for not buying into the 2019-20 Phoenix Suns just yet. This is, after all, an organization that hasn't made the playoffs in nine years, put together just one winning season during that span, and hasn't even crossed the 25-win threshold since 2015.

For nearly a decade, the Suns have been a punchline - their front-office decisions panned, their coaching tactics questioned, their defensive misadventures turned into meme fodder - and it's not like the past few months represented some great deviation from the norm. Even with general manager James Jones manning the controls in place of Ryan McDonough, the offseason bore all the hallmarks of a run-of-the-mill Suns bender.

Firing the coach? Check. The Suns cut ties with Igor Kokoskov after just one season, in which he underperformed only relative to management's unrealistic expectations. Whiffing on their top free-agent target? Yep. They watched Malcolm Brogdon get snatched from under their noses by the Pacers. Making head-scratching roster maneuvers? Sure. On draft night, the Suns gave away T.J. Warren and a valuable second-rounder for literally nothing. They also traded out of the sixth pick (where they might have nabbed their long-sought-after point guard of the future) in exchange for Dario Saric and the 11th selection, which they used to reach for 23-year-old forward Cam Johnson.

In short, it didn't appear much had changed for the franchise. Even the most defensible moves (pivoting from Brogdon to Ricky Rubio, getting Aron Baynes in another draft-day trade, shipping out busted No. 4 pick Josh Jackson for Jevon Carter, and re-signing Kelly Oubre) felt more tolerable than exciting. Then the season itself got off to an inauspicious start, with sophomore center Deandre Ayton, last year's No. 1 overall pick, receiving a 25-game suspension for using a diuretic (a potential masking agent for PEDs) the day after opening night.

But, as the saying goes, even a goat pooping all over an office will hit the trash bin twice a day. The Suns, for all their incoherent, ramshackle planning, appear to have stumbled upon a successful formula.

They're 3-2 following a tough opening slate, with their two losses coming by a combined two points to the Nuggets and Jazz, both presumptive contenders. They beat the championship-favorite Clippers in a game they led almost wire-to-wire despite playing without Rubio. And they curb-stomped the Warriors on the road, which doesn't mean what it used to but is still notable for including a 39-4 run in the first half. When you filter out garbage time, the Suns are tied with the 76ers for the best net rating in the NBA, with the league's seventh-ranked offense and, perhaps most shockingly, its eighth-ranked defense.

So, how are they doing this?

Let's start with the obvious. Devin Booker's incremental growth continues to nudge him toward being the complete offensive package. On top of honing his off-the-dribble shooting, he's been the head of the snake for a pretty devastating transition attack. Most noticeably, Booker's long-gestating pick-and-roll playmaking is more polished and assured than ever. He's been patient, probing, and unselfish, not only making smart reads but savvily looking off defenders before delivering on-point passes with either hand.

Whether it's been a trickle-down effect from Booker's unselfishness, Rubio's heady stewardship, the basketball intelligence of Baynes and Saric, or the organized and movement-heavy offensive system instilled by new coach Monty Williams, the whole team has moved the ball willingly and purposefully.

The Suns have assisted on an incredible 70.9% of their baskets, a mark that not only leads the league but would be the highest full-season assist percentage for any offense since 2004. Not unrelated: They've scored more points off of cuts than all but one other team, a credit to their redoubled attention to off-ball detail under Williams. Booker, who's spent less time on the ball with Rubio in the fold, has been the biggest driver of that success, scoring 1.77 points per possession using cuts.

Oubre, who's been active cutting along the baseline, has been another. The 23-year-old is playing some of the best basketball of his career at both ends of the floor. He's showcased improved defensive footwork and help instincts, using his length to invade passing lanes and maintain contact with ball-handlers. At the other end, he's even done productive stuff with the ball in his hands. The Suns' front office takes a lot of flak, but getting Oubre in exchange for half a season of Trevor Ariza was a coup.

So was acquiring Baynes in a salary dump from the Celtics. The Aussie bruiser has been a revelation in Phoenix. He's carved out space for his guards with bone-crunching screens, scored on little flip shots in the post, zipped passes out of the short roll, and lit it up to the tune of 42% from deep - despite an earthbound, forward-leaning, tips-of-his-feet shooting form that looks like it was cribbed from Twinkle Toes Flintstone.

But the offensive end isn't where Baynes has typically buttered his bread; he's long been one of the league's most underrated interior defenders. The big man is a brick house on wheels who's nimble and physical in equal measure. He always keeps his hands up and is equally comfortable dropping or hedging. He can even hold his own when he gets switched out on the perimeter against jittery guards, thanks to his knack for moving his feet and staying down on fakes. This was a nice piece of work by both him and Oubre against the Warriors:

The perimeter guys also deserve credit for the way they've pressured the ball, funneled opposing dribblers toward the help, and created turnovers. Rubio's been a big part of that, and even Booker has shown some newfound friskiness. The real standout at the point of attack, though, has been Carter. He defends in a permanent deep crouch, keeping his shoulders square to the ball-handler while refusing to let himself get screened out of the play.

I don't think anyone in Phoenix is missing Jackson.

Now, here is where I'm contractually obligated to include the caveat that It's Only Been Five Games. Can the good times last?

The Suns are, notably, getting lucky in terms of 3-point defense. Opponents have shot just 31.9% from deep, including 29% on wide-open threes, as classified by NBA.com. But the Suns have also allowed just 12.4 of those shots per game, the fifth-lowest mark in the league. They've really done a great job of closing out on shooters, which seems inconceivable because it was a bugaboo for this team for so long.

When dealing with such small early-season samples, you should focus on the fundamentals, and the Suns' fundamentals are looking pretty sound. They've run opponents off the arc and contested shots at all three levels. They've allowed the seventh-lowest rate of 3-point attempts, have coaxed mid-range jumpers at a top-10 rate, and rank fourth in defensive field-goal percentage at the rim.

They also have a fouling problem, and they'll need to cut down on their league-high opponent free-throw rate if they want to stay competitive when the 3-point defense inevitably regresses. But from a process standpoint, there's been little to suggest the Suns are playing way above their heads and can't be at least an average defensive team.

The same goes for the offensive end, where the Suns have produced a balanced shot profile and haven't connected on an unsustainable percentage from any zone. They've also attempted more wide-open threes per game than any other team but the Bucks and Rockets.

Yes, it's still too soon to believe the prevailing trend is definitively shifting. The Suns' recent history is too fraught with bumbling incompetence to be wiped away by a week of inspired play. But it's not too early to say these Suns aren't last year's Suns. These guys aren't going to be pushovers.

Joe Wolfond writes about basketball and tennis for theScore. You can find him on Twitter @joey_doubleyou.