The Phoenix Suns return home tonight after embarking on a key four-game road trip against the best the Eastern Conference has. It was a great opportunity for the Suns to measure themselves against quality competition and understand their team’s strengths and weaknesses as the playoffs near.

What did we learn while the team was away? Quite simply, they are below average as it relates to defending the perimeter. Currently ranked 22nd in the NBA by allowing opponents to shoot 36.7% from three-point range, the Suns were obliterated from beyond the arc on their road trip. Opposing teams shot 40.2% from three over four games, and that includes an 11-of-38 performance by the Charlotte Hornets.

The opposition started out strong from deep against the Suns as they allowed them to make 42-of-96 (43.8%) in the first half of games. Aye carumba. When the first half ended against the Bucks on Sunday, the Suns had 60 total points. The Bucks? They had 54 points from three-point makes alone.

48.2% of all shots against the Suns were three-pointers. Why? Because their poor perimeter defense allowed opponents to take more shots than a Florida State kid on Spring Break in Panama City Beach. It was like Floribama Shore out there on the road.

“We’ve got to come out with a lot better focus and a lot more sense of urgency from what we’ve been having,” Bradley Beal said after practice yesterday. “It’s been way unacceptable. We all know that. We’ve got to be better.”

It is something that has been concerning throughout the season. If you were to ask what the biggest weaknesses are for this team outside of health, it would be fourth-quarter execution, unforced live ball turnovers, and lackadaisical perimeter defense.