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The aftermath of the Phoenix Suns’ 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals was not a pretty sight, with players and coaches devastated by the missed opportunity. The team’s future, on the other hand, is another matter.
Despite not winning their first NBA championship, the Phoenix Suns’ ascent to becoming title contenders was accelerated by the addition of Chris Paul in the offseason. No one predicted the Suns would make it to the finals this year and yet, they were just two games short of winning the whole thing.
Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton, the young core of the dynamic Phoenix Suns roster, had their first taste of the NBA playoffs and are going to be hungry for more of the same next season. They played like veterans for the better part of the postseason and are primed to be better players because of their experience.
The future of the Phoenix Suns is as bright as their namesake. With that in mind, let's look at three bold predictions for the Suns' offseason and their new season.
1. Chris Paul will re-sign with the Phoenix Suns
Based on Chris Paul’s post-game press conference, he sounds like someone who is going to stay with the Phoenix Suns next season.
“Everybody in that locker room knows we had enough, but it wasn’t enough,” Paul said moments after Game 6. “So, we got to figure it out. I think for me, I just look at myself and figure out how can I get better, what I could have done more, and make sure I come back next season ready to do it again.”
Practically everyone expects Paul to decline his $44.2 million player option next season and seek a deal with more years and money at the end. More than likely, he will try and negotiate a deal in the three-year $100-million range this summer.
After a historic run to the NBA Finals, Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver is obligated to give Paul what he wants. It would certainly be a step back for the franchise to lose him for nothing.
2. Deandre Ayton will average a 20-10
With Chris Paul likely to return, the Phoenix Suns will be back as serious title contenders. Not only that, they will be a deeper and stronger squad when the 2021-22 season begins later this year. More importantly, the core players will be better than ever.
Booker is a guaranteed 25-points-a-game scorer. He has the (Mamba) mentality to be one of the league’s top scorers for the next decade. However, he can’t carry the offensive load alone.
Enter Deandre Ayton.
Ayton showed in the 2021 NBA Playoffs that he is the real deal as a game-changing big man and is one of the modern bigs who knows how to play to his strengths. While most centers are now expected to make the occasional three-pointer, Ayton understands what he can and cannot do.
His first postseason experience should carry over to the 2021-22 regular season in a big way. The Phoenix Suns center now knows how dominant he can be, having averaged 15.8 points on 65.8 percent shooting to go along with 11.8 rebounds per game during the 2021 playoffs. He will be working on his game in the summer and will be back stronger with a more polished low-post game.
As a result of all that offseason work, Ayton will average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in the regular season. Bank on it.
3. The Phoenix Suns will make it only as far as the conference finals
As good as the Phoenix Suns were this season, they probably surprised many of the teams they faced with their combination of precise offense and rugged defense. They also benefitted from the injuries that plagued each of their opponents in the first three rounds of the playoffs.
This won’t be the case next season. Assuming that all the teams in the Western Conference are relatively healthy throughout the season, the top six teams would be the LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. Almost any of these teams could make it to the Western Conference Finals with their current lineups.
The Clippers won’t make it far without Kawhi Leonard for a year. However, the rest of the teams would pose a serious threat to the Phoenix Suns’ chances of a return to the finals next season.
The LA Lakers alone would be a tough matchup for the Phoenix Suns. If they once again meet in the playoffs prior to the Western Conference Finals (with a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis), it would be very hard to see the Suns winning that matchup.
Unless the Phoenix Suns shore up their lack of size in the starting lineup and on their bench, it will be lights out for them before reaching the NBA Finals.
