How About Those Red-Hot Suns?!
If it wasn’t clear then, it should be by now: the Phoenix Suns are legit.
Though many scrutinized their journey to last year’s Finals as sheer injury luck, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and co. are proving that small market teams can, in fact, build a winning culture. Standing high atop the West with a 51–12 record at the time of writing, it’s become increasingly clear that the Suns could return to the big stage again come June, and in a conference with Steph and Klay’s Warriors, the Clippers thriving without Kawhi and PG, and the Lakers falling apart as we speak, they have the tools to do so.
For starters, Devin Booker has continued to be THAT guy. The 25-year-old has averaged 25–5–4 with one steal per game like it’s clockwork, and he was recently thrust into the starting point guard role with Chris Paul facing a thumb fracture. Before Booker was put in Health & Safety Protocols, he put up 30 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals on 50% shooting (12–24 FG, 4–8 3PT, 2–4 FT) in a narrow 118–114 loss to the Jazz. He’s also averaged 26.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 6.1 APG on 45–34–90 splits in his last ten games, along with a six game streak of 25 points or higher. The Suns’ golden boy has been nothing short of spectacular for Phoenix, and he will continue to be the driving force for their success as they eye another shot at the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Aside from D-Book, Chris Paul has still been a wizard at age 36. Putting up nearly 15 PPG and 11 APG this season, Paul’s floor-general abilities have greatly benefited Phoenix, a team that ranks fifth in assists per game at 27.1. Some of CP3’s notable performances include a season-high 27 points in a 115–109 win over the Jazz on Jan. 24 and a season-high 19 dimes in a 115–110 win over the Spurs six days later. Paul is one of several “old heads” in the league that can still compete at a high level, and his contributions to this Suns squad have not gone unnoticed.
Speaking of not going unnoticed, Cameron Johnson is a role player who has skyrocketed to fame (and rightfully so). Recording a career-high 38 points on NINE threes last night (including the game winner), Johnson has been a vital piece of the Suns offense, averaging 12.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 1.5 APG while shooting nearly 49% from three this season. Aside from his 38-point outburst, Johnson has had five games this season where he drained five or more threes, averaging 24 PPG in the process. It is clear that Johnson has made a leap this year, improving his three-point percentage by nearly 10% and answering the call as the Suns’ arguable sixth man.
Other bench players that have made waves in Phoenix include Mikal Bridges (13.5 PPG on 53–36–83 splits), JaVale McGee (9.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 1.1 BPG) and Cameron Payne (10.5 PPG and 4 APG), all of whom will be heavily relied on as the Suns battle through injury/protocol issues with Booker, Paul, Frank Kaminsky and Dario Saric.
Throughout this season, the Suns have proven to us time and again that their run to the Finals last year was no fluke, and there is a very good chance (barring an absolute disaster) that we could see them go far in the postseason. Make no mistake. The Suns are back and burning brighter than ever!
