The Phoenix Suns are one of the many NBA teams that are expected to compete for a championship this upcoming season, as they’re coming off a league-best 64-18 record in the regular season.
Larry O’Brien Trophy Contenders
Early Suns 2022 betting predictions have NBA odds for the Suns to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy are currently listed at +950, which is the fifth best in the league.
The Suns were heavily rumored to be in the mix to acquire Kevin Durant away from the Brooklyn Nets at the beginning of the offseason, but with the Nets having their asking price so high, the Suns weren’t able to land arguably the best player in the game today.
That led the Suns to re-sign Deandre Ayton and give him the money he was seeking, as they matched a four-year, $133 deal given to him by the Indiana Pacers.
Deandre’s Ayton Comeback
Ayton is coming off his strongest season in the league, as he averaged 17.2 points on 63.4 percent shooting to go along with 10.2 rebounds per game.
However, Ayton was only out there for 17 minutes in the Suns’ Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs, and when head coach Monty Williams was asked for the reason for that, all he said was “that’s internal.”
Whatever the case may be with that, the Suns decided to bring back Ayton, but at least it gives them the option to trade him for other assets rather than lose him for nothing if things don’t truly work out.
Suns Bringing the Same Lineup
The Suns are largely bringing the same group back next season, with the core of:
- Devin Booker
- Chris Paul
- Ayton
- Mikal Bridges
Building out this team’s identity once again. Booker continues to grow into one of the best scorers this league has to offer, as he averaged a career-high 26.8 points per game on 46.6 percent shooting this past season.
Rosters Performance Recap
Booker also has the capability of setting up his teammates for good looks, especially when he’s double-teamed.
Paul is still getting it done out there, as he averaged 14.7 points on nearly 50 percent shooting to go along with 10.8 assists per game. He will be 37 years old this upcoming season, so wear and tear will be something to consider.
Bridges is becoming one of the better two-way wings this league has to offer, as he averaged 14.2 points per game on 53.4 percent shooting while taking on the task of guarding the opposing team’s best player.
Other Main Contributors
All of the other main contributors will be returning to the mix next season in Jae Crowder, Cameron Johnson and Bismack Biyombo, as all will either bring a defensive intensity and shooting to give this team a boost around its stars.
Will the Suns End up in the Finals?
The Suns are still one of the strongest teams in the NBA as currently constructed. Booker is a talent most if not all teams around the league feel comfortable building their team around.
CP3 has been around the game of basketball for a long time, as his basketball IQ is really helping him age gracefully closer to the twilight of his NBA career.
However, it’s also hard to fully be able to rely on CP3 come playoff time, as wear and tear can serve as a huge detriment in his ability to get to his spots when it comes to shooting the ball or with him pushing the pace he knows how to do best.
Booker’s Need to Take the Next Step
It’s going to take Booker to take that next step in his game and prove he can consistently put the team on his back in the playoffs.
It’s also going to take Ayton really developing into the player that we all thought he would be coming out of the 2018 Draft when he was selected with the first overall pick.
Something to note is that the West also got stronger, as the Dallas Mavericks added Christian Wood and the Minnesota TImberwolves added Rudy Gobert.
With all of this said, the Suns are unlikely to end up in the finals next season unless they can acquire Kevin Durant at the trade deadline.
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