People tried, and still try, to ignore what the Phoenix Suns accomplished last season. Everyone was talking about how the Suns only made it that far last year because of injuries to players on the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers.
If someone still says things like that, they're either a total hater or don't watch this Suns team. Everything they did last season was no fluke, as shown by their status as the best team in the NBA once again. They are without a doubt the best team in the NBA, and the only team to which they can be compared is the Milwaukee Bucks, who beat them in the finals last season. The Suns, on the other hand, just played the Bucks and won comfortably. Phoenix is without a doubt the best team in the NBA right now.
Phoenix will not be able to play as well as they did in the first 60 games due to Chris Paul's injury, but Devin Booker and the rest of the team should still be able to get the job done. Chris Paul is anticipated to return before the playoffs, so there's no need for this Phoenix Suns team to be concerned about any team they'll meet in the postseason. Phoenix is unquestionably the favorite to win the Western Conference right now, and if anyone disagrees, they haven't watched this squad play.
At the time, there isn't anyone who can compete with the Phoenix Suns. Obviously, some teams will make it more difficult for them than others, but Phoenix is the best team in the NBA right now, and they must feel quite confident heading into the second half of the season.
Let's take a look at the two teams who might provide the greatest trouble in the playoffs for this Suns squad.
Winning an NBA title is never easy. As we have seen with the past 20 champions, every team is going to need something significant to go their way. Whether that is an unfortunate injury to someone, or having guys on the roster step up more than they ever have. There is a reason why winning a championship is so hard, and a reason why we have seen crazy upsets in the past. If a team is going to win a title, they’re going to need everyone on their roster to be playing the best basketball they possibly can, and even sometimes that isn’t enough to get the job done. Matchups are always something that is going to play a major factor, and some teams just know how to get the job done against certain teams when it matters most.
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The top two playoff threats to the Suns, ranked
2. Los Angeles Lakers
Look, the Los Angeles Lakers haven't been very good this season. They've just been disappointing, but it doesn't rule out the possibility that they may turn things around because they still have some superstars on their roster. At the end of the day, if you have LeBron James on your team, you're almost guaranteed to succeed if he and a few others stay healthy.
What would have happened if LeBron James and Anthony Davis had been totally healthy against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs last year? That was one of the greatest what-if storylines of the playoffs last year. Despite those players' injuries, Phoenix was still able to win, and Chris Paul was also playing with an injured hand.
It would be dishonest to claim that Los Angeles would have won the series if Phoenix hadn't gotten some fortunate injuries.
If both of these teams meet in the first round again this year, it will be a fascinating series to watch. Los Angeles hasn't played well this season, but if all three of their stars are healthy and Russell Westbrook can work things out, this is still a club that won't be an easy postseason exit. It's never easy to beat LeBron James four out of seven times, no matter how horrible the team surrounding him is.
1. Warriors
At this point, it appears that this series will take place in the Western Conference Finals. Both of these teams have been by far the best in the Western Conference this season, and the outcome will be determined by how well Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson perform. Whichever team's stars perform the best out of the two will most likely advance to the next round.
The Phoenix Suns will have a significant edge against the Golden State Warriors because, as everyone knows, Chris Paul is the best pick-and-roll player in NBA history. That pick-and-roll with him and DeAndre Ayton is a thing of beauty, and the Warriors have no solution for stopping it considering how bad their paint defense is.
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