The Phoenix Suns certainly started Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers with a bang. For their first points of the night, Suns small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. collected a pass from DeAndre Ayton, shedded off Patrick Beverley and put Paul George on a poster with an emphatic one-hand slam.

Oubre has improved as a player every season since being drafted 15th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. After spending his first three and a half year with the Washington Wizards, the 6-foot-7 forward was traded to the Suns last December.

Enjoying his role as a full time starter for the first time in his career, Oubre has blossomed into a quality piece for a Suns team trying to dig themselves out of irrelevancy. The athletic swingman is averaging a career-high 17.6 points, and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from deep.

At only 24 years old, Oubre is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential as a player. Along with shooting guard Devin Booker and center DeAndre Ayton, Oubre gives Phoenix one of the most intriguing young trios in the NBA going forward.

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Chris Paul in a Clippers uniform with question marks everywhere.

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Speaking of Ayton, the No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft has finally returned tonight for the Clippers after serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy.

The Suns, after a surprising start to the season, have fallen a bit back down to earth. With an 11-15 record, they currently stand in ninth place in the Western Conference, just a half game behind a playoff spot.