Only a few short years ago, the Phoenix Suns were the NBA’s laughingstock. Known more for a dysfunctional environment and the lack of building a winning culture, Phoenix has completely flipped the narrative since the arrival of GM James Jones and head coach Monty Williams.
With their arrival, the Suns finally saw stability on all levels of the organization align, which led to an incredible Finals run last season.
Nowadays, Phoenix is a juggernaut compared to a bottom-feeder as they have clear separation atop the Association, 40 games above .500 at 53-13. A roster stocked to the brim with reliable depth pieces and star power, there’s no real holes to poke through on the Suns.
Chris Paul and Devin Booker are the straw that stir the drink in Phoenix, but there’s so much more. Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges are pillar pieces from a transformative 2018 draft class.
Cameron Johnson looks like the steal of the 2019 draft as he continues ascending into a reliable two-way threat, which includes being one of the best three-point marksmen out there. Sturdy veteran presences such as Jae Crowder and JaVale McGee have done wonders for the Suns as well.
Take a look at how deep the Suns’ rotation can actually go once postseason play begins next month:
- Starting Lineup = Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton
- Second Unit = Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Cameron Johnson, Torrey Craig, JaVale McGee
- Key Reserves = Aaron Holiday, Bismack Biyombo
As you can see, Phoenix is capable of trotting out 12 players who they can rely upon when it matters most. It’s a reaffirming stance as to why Jones deserves NBA Executive of the Year for a second consecutive season, plus Williams finally getting Coach of the Year after being robbed the year prior.
The operation in Phoenix is now functioning at an elite level, rhythmically able to adapt on the fly. With a chameleon-like tendency to beat teams at their own game, or force opponents into playing their style, how exactly will anyone be able to beat the Suns four times in a seven-game series?
As of right now, it’s tough to find even plausible scenarios where that could occur. On Wednesday night in Miami against the Heat, one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, Phoenix had no issues destroying them by 20 points — and honestly the game was never really in serious jeopardy.
Surveying the overall landscape in the Western Conference at the moment, is there a serious contender who can dethrone Phoenix from making a repeat Finals run?
The Golden State Warriors were on the same tier as the Suns for a few months before injuries began to take a serious toll, which included Klay Thompson and Draymond Green being sidelined. Thompson is back for the Warriors, while Green should return later this month.
Outside of Golden State, there’s an arms race in the West right now as playoff positioning begins to take shape. All of the following teams have a serious case to be made for why they are a real threat to Phoenix: Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks.
All four have not only the star power (Ja Morant, Donovan Mitchell, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic), but also capable depth to give anyone a run for their money in a winner-take-all scenario.
Again, however, does anyone make a serious dent in the Suns’ path to securing their first championship in franchise history this summer? Unless Phoenix falls flat on their face come playoff time, which will see the return of Paul right before it begins, it’s hard to really envision who can dethrone the well-oiled basketball machine in the Valley.
With an elite offense and defense buoying their reign atop the NBA right now, there’s no reason to believe a fall-off is coming anytime soon for the Suns. If anything, their reign is just beginning after a meteoric rise up the standings last season.
Remember, this is only Year 2 of the CP3 era and he signed a new four-year deal this past offseason. Booker and Bridges are also locked up long-term. Ayton will be a restricted free agent this offseason, but all indications are the Suns will match any offer thrown the Bahamian big man’s way in July.
Many teams are trying to copy the rise of the Suns. Build a strong nucleus of young talent, then insert the game-changing star veteran who takes the whole operation over the top. That’s exactly what happened when Paul joined Phoenix, a roster built to extend his career and play to his future Hall of Fame strengths.
Memphis is experiencing a similar rise without that veteran on board yet, which could signal they’re ready to push their own chips in this offseason around Morant and a talented stockpile of young talent.
The Chicago Bulls are the best example of Suns 2.0 this season, taking a serious leap in the Eastern Conference after bringing All-NBA scorer DeMar DeRozan to the Windy City. Many other teams are trying to mimic the Suns’ blueprint, but it’s not an exact science when all the dominoes have fallen into place as they have in Phoenix.
The Suns struck lightning in a bottle with multiple moves that changed the long-term fortunes of their franchise. Williams decided to build a program in Phoenix compared to coaching LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul sought out the Suns after their undefeated run in the Orlando Bubble, seeing they were one more piece away from taking a serious leap forward. Assembling the talent on Phoenix’s roster was no easy task either, and it took some serious luck and fortune to build one of the best young quarters in basketball with Booker, Ayton, Bridges, and Johnson.
It’s been a long time coming in Phoenix, but a new golden age of Suns basketball is happening right now. This is only the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come, because Phoenix is built to thrive within the short and long-term window throughout the 2020s.
With the way everything is falling into place for the Suns, their first taste of an NBA championship seems soon on the horizon.
