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When the Phoenix Suns traded for Chris Paul this past offseason, they did so in hopes of finally making that big jump into the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Not only did they do that, but they've made the jump to legit championship contention.
The Suns have a team built for the playoffs, and they've shown that so far after beating the Los Angeles Lakers (yes, they were banged up) in six games and then thrashing the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their second-round series. Phoenix has a versatile blend of young stars and wily vets who can play both ends of the floor, along with a head coach in Monty Williams who's getting the best out of this group.
Just take a look at the Suns' starting lineup. It all starts with the backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Paul is the maestro who orchestrates the offense, and he's still able to get to his spots and do damage as a scorer or playmaker. Even with the shoulder injury, CP3 took over down the stretch of Game 1 against the Nuggets, burying mid-range jumpers and even a ridiculous 3-pointer.
Booker is the up-and-coming superstar backcourt partner who can get buckets at all three levels in the half-court setting. Having two guards who can score from anywhere against a set defense is such a luxury to have in the postseason.
Then there are the versatile forwards in Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder, two tough 3-and-D players who can defend multiple positions and knock down open shots. That kind of defensive versatility and shooting is crucial in the postseason.
Rounding out the starting five is Deandre Ayton, who's blossoming into an elite big man before our very eyes. Ayton was awesome against the Lakers and then outplayed Nikola Jokic in Game 1. That will be a matchup to follow as this series goes along, and Ayton seems to be up for the challenge.
No five-man lineup played more minutes in the regular season than the 706 this group played. While they didn't dominate as much as some other lineups did, they have so far in the playoffs. In 120 playoff minutes (the most in the NBA), the Suns' starting lineup is plus-15.7 points per 100 possessions, with elite offense and defense. They combined for 99 of 122 points in Game 1 against Denver.
The Suns also have some key bench players in Cameron Payne, Cameron Johnson, Torrey Craig and Dario Saric who can provide quality minutes. I wouldn't call this the most reliable bench group, but we've seen them make key contributions in these playoffs already.
With this deep roster that can win in a variety of ways, Phoenix is primed to go a long way in these playoffs. It's not going to be easy, and the Suns could easily fall victim to The Joker and his Nuggets. But Monty Williams' squad is firing on all cylinders with a raucous home crowd behind them.
Winning a championship is going to be a real tall order given that whole Brooklyn Nets thing, but let's not totally count the Suns out. Plus, even a run to the NBA Finals, perhaps even with CP3 beating the Los Angeles Clippers to get there for the first time, would be quite the story this season.
