The Phoenix Suns won four straight games to beat the LA Clippers to win their first-round series of the NBA playoffs. The Suns advanced to the Western Conference semifinals and will face the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, who beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round. 

Phoenix was not perfect in its first five postseason games.

Stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant have been the NBA’s best duo in the playoffs, averaging 37.2 and 28.4 points per game, respectively. The Suns won their four games of that series by an average of 9.3 points, a clear sign of dominance as the series progressed without Kawhi Leonard, who suffered what is now reported as a torn right meniscus. 

But Phoenix is the odds-on favorite to win the West, according to FanDuel, and has things to clean up to meet those expectations.  

Coach Monty Williams struggled to find a consistent bench rhythm and relied heavily on Durant and Booker, who rank No. 1 and No. 2 in minutes per game this postseason (43.8 for Durant, 43.2 for Booker). 

The Suns’ bench had the second-fewest points (72) of any team in the first round. Williams opted to move Josh Okogie, who started the team’s last 25 games of the regular season, to the bench, which has mixed things up a bit. Torrey Craig had three games with at least 15 points as he started over Okogie. 

This second-round matchup pits arguably basketball's two best offenses against each other. Denver is led by two-time reigning MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, one of the game’s best passers and an offensive threat at center. Durant, Booker, Chris Paul and especially Deandre Ayton will have to be at their best to beat the Nuggets, while role players like Craig and Okogie must step up, too.

But none of those players is Phoenix's biggest X-factor against Denver in the 2023 playoffs. Who holds that distinction?

Suns X-factor vs. Nuggets: Cam Payne

Cam Payne returned for Game 5 against the Clippers after previously being sidelined since April 7th with back soreness. He played three minutes and did not score a point. 

Payne, who signed a three-year, $19 million contract with the Suns after a productive 2021 postseason run, has been the ‘Energizer bunny’ for Phoenix since its 8-0 stretch in the 2020 Bubble. He plays with pace and contrasts the style of Paul, who tends to let plays develop in a half-court setting. 

Phoenix’s bench needs scoring and must get it from Payne, who averaged 10.3 points in 48 regular-season games. Payne is his team's most experienced bench player, tasked with leading a group of reserves that many believe could doom star-heavy Phoenix's title hopes.

Ayton will be a pivotal player for this series after he played effective defense against Jokic when the teams met two years ago in the playoffs. Phoenix swept the Nuggets without point guard Jamal Murray, who has returned from an ACL injury and averaged 27.2 points per game against Minnesota.

Ayton’s defense on Jokic will be much-needed for the Suns to slow Denver down offensively. Getting consistent production from Payne, however, is the boost the Suns really need after they struggled mightily to bring a consistent rotation off the bench.

Williams barely used Terrence Ross or T.J. Warren in the first round, proven scorers throughout their careers. Payne is trusted since he has been with this Suns program for four seasons, and will need to show his worth in the second round for Phoenix to get past the Nuggets in the second round.