Phoenix Suns: Five Things to Watch Post All-Star Break

Two Tough Schedule Stretches

Feb 4, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Gerald Green (14) looks up to the stands in the first half against the Chicago Bulls at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

From Tuesday, March 4 through Monday, March 10, the Suns will face the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder in Phoenix, then will hit the road to face the Golden State Warriors before playing the Clippers for a second time.

Once April rolls around, the Suns have a stretch where they play the Clippers in Phoenix, then travel to the Portland Trail Blazers, back home for the Oklahoma City Thunder, then a three-game road trip at New Orleans, San Antonio and Dallas. Lastly, they come back home for a game against Dallas.

The second stretch of games will prove to be extremely important, as it’s at the end of the season and includes games against other teams that will be fighting for playoff positioning. Once the playoffs come, all teams in the West are tough, so this will be a good test for the Suns to see if they’re truly playoff ready.

Michael Dunlap is an NBA credentialed writer who is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief for the Sports Illustrated/Fansided NBA site HoopsHabit.com and the Arizona Sports site HeatWaved.com. He also covers high school sports for The Arizona Republic. Follow me on Twitter @DunlapNBA.