The team repeated a second-place finish in an expanded Pacific division and the Western Conference's second-best record, thus earning a spot in the playoffs, the franchise's first time extending the season in back-to-back seasons.
For the first time since the '75–'76 team, the Suns returned to the Western Conference finals, before being dispatched by Pacific division champion Seattle in seven games.
The Suns were led by head coach John MacLeod and played all home games in Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Walter Davis followed up his Rookie of the Year Award performance from the previous season with his second consecutive All-Star selection and by season's end, voted to the All-NBA Second Team.
Fourth-year big man Alvan Adams hauled in a career-high 9.2 rebounds a game to go with an average of 17.8 points.