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There is plenty of concern surrounding the Phoenix Suns right now. Devin Booker is injured and Phoenix is laboring against a Pelicans team that barely made the playoffs. Nonetheless, there is reason for optimism in Phoenix.
The Suns leads the series 3-2 with the Pelicans as of this story's publication. But even if they send the Pelicans home, nothing is guaranteed moving forward with juggernauts such as the Warriors and Grizzlies standing in their way in the West.
But can the team that finished with the NBA's best record during the regular season overcome their problems and win the West?
3 Reasons the Suns will Win the West
Devin Booker's Timetable
As long as Phoenix can take care of business against the Pelicans and hang around against their next opponent, there is a possibility that Booker will return sooner than later. He was originally expected to miss 2-3 weeks, and that still seems to be the case.
It looks as if he will miss two weeks at this point. So that rules him out for the remainder of the series vs. New Orleans and likely the beginning of Phoenix's next series if they advance. But if he can return mid-series the Suns should be in line to win.
Barring a change to his timetable, the Suns were lucky that Devin Booker's injury wasn't worse.
The Chris Paul Effect
Chris Paul knows how to lead a team. He is tenacious, gritty, and is never afraid to speak his mind. The “Point God” has what it takes to lead this team to victory without Devin Booker.
Having Paul on the floor makes other players perform at higher levels. CP3 dished out 11 assists in Phoenix's 112-97 victory over the Pelicans in Game 5. He added 22 points, but his elite passing led to 31 points for Mikal Bridges and 19 for Deandre Ayton.
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But his vocal leadership is what stands out. He is going to do everything in his power to keep Phoenix's young players focused. If they begin to struggle, Paul will step in and motivate them. If they are playing well, he will pump them up. That kind of stuff doesn't show up in the box score but it is instrumental to a team's success.
The Chris Paul effect can carry Phoenix with Booker sidelined.
The Suns' Calling Card: Depth
The one aspect of this Suns team that stood out in comparison to every other team in the NBA was their depth this season.
Did they feature the most star-power in the NBA? No. Teams such as Brooklyn, Golden State, and even the Lakers had some of the best players in the NBA on their rosters. But the Suns had a complete team which carried them to the league's best record.
Do the Suns have stars? Absolutely. Devin Booker is a tremendous scoring option when healthy, Deandre Ayton has emerged as a top-tier big man, and we discussed all that Chris Paul brings to the table.
But Phoenix has players such as Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, Landry Shamet, JaVale McGee, Cam Payne, and Bismack Biyombo on the roster. Each of those players brings something vital to the team. Whether it's rebounding, three-point shooting, pure scoring, defense, hustle, etc, the Suns attack opponents in a myriad of different ways.
The Phoenix Suns are dangerous despite the circumstances. Opposing teams need to not take them for granted.
