Last night’s road victory against the Los Angeles Lakers was a statement game that the Suns have to be taken seriously in the Western Conference. Yes, the Lakers were missing significant players (Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, and Kyle Kuzma all out). But the Suns were also missing Devin Booker for almost the entire second half after he was bizarrely ejected from the game after two quick technical fouls. They are now 23-11 and sit alone as the second seed in the superior Western Conference. After a decade of mostly disastrous basketball, Phoenix is once again a threat to make the Conference Finals. And maybe even further. It’s a shame that they took this long to get here.
The last time the Suns were the in the Conference Finals (or the playoffs at all, for that matter) was 2010. They lost to the eventual NBA Champion Lakers, four games to two. This 2010 team was not the same “Seven Seconds or Less” team that many think of. Mike D’Antoni had been fired in 2008 (replaced by Terry Porter who was quickly removed from the position in favor of Alvin Gentry); Shawn Marion had been traded in 2008; and the man they received for Marion, Shaquille O’Neal, had since left to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nonetheless Nash, Amare` Stoudemire, and solid supporting cast of Grant Hill, Jared Dudley, Channing Frye, and Jason Richardson still got this team to 54 wins.
After 2010? Things have been a disaster! Stoudemire left that summer to play for the New York Knicks. 2010 would be Nash’s last great Suns team before he eventually was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2012. From 2012 until 2019, they went through five head coaches. Rosters were often bleak and the Suns were nearly always written off even before the season began. Their owner, Robert Sarver, deserves his own article for how he stifled the “Seven Seconds or Less” Suns from achieving their true potential.
In 2019, however, the Suns hopefully found coaching stability with the hiring on Monty Williams. Their second year coach (after a previous stint in New Orleans) has the Suns playing at the second slowest pace in the NBA right now. A combination of a good offense and good defense have given them a point differential of +6, the second best in the West and the third best in the NBA.
The slower pace has a lot to do with this offseason addition of Chris Paul. Considered to be one of the greatest point guards of all time, Paul is always an incredible player to watch. The way he controls the game and makes sure it’s played on HIS terms is something very few in the league can do. Even in year sixteen, CP3 still is impressive with 16.2 points and 9 assists a game. LeBron James deservedly gets credit for being so successful this late in his career. Paul deserves similar accolades.
To go along with Paul, Devin Booker leads the team in scoring at 25.2 a game. Booker, in his sixth year in the league, frequently has had doubters that he could score at an elite level on a great team. His doubters, well, were right up until last year. Booker has been great as both a scorer and facilitator when he has his minutes staggered with Chris Paul.
Mikal Bridges is having a breakout season in his third year in the league. The 76ers deserve more flak for trading Bridges, a standout from nearby Villanova, for Zhaire Smith. Smith has played in thirteen career games and is not currently on an active NBA roster. DeAndre Ayton needs to improve his post game but he has still played very well. He was the number one pick in a draft that featured Luka Doncic. That should not reflect poorly on Ayton. He didn’t draft himself to the Suns and is still averaging 14.6 points and 11.4 rebounds. Jae Crowder proved to be a great signing. Crowder has been good wherever he has gone, outside of his bizarre stint with the Cavaliers.
Take the Suns seriously. They are going to be good and maybe great for the rest of the season. As long as Chris Paul goes, the Suns go. Will they make the NBA Finals? Right now, I would say no. The West still runs through the Los Angeles Lakers and I would be hard pressed to choose the Suns to take out a team led by LeBron James. As long as Anthony Davis is healthy and joins with LeBron again, I don’t see a formidable challenger. Not even the West leading Utah Jazz. The Suns are very good though. They are going to likely win a first round playoff series. As long as the do not meet the Lakers in the second round, I like their chances there as well. No matter the final outcome in the playoffs, the Suns are once again relevant.
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