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The Phoenix Suns have gone on a phenomenal journey this year to reach the NBA Finals and will now face the Milwaukee Bucks. Having not qualified for the playoffs in the last decade, Monty Williams masterminded an incredible regular season campaign in which the Suns won 51 games, just one behind the Utah Jazz.
In facing the Milwaukee Bucks, the Phoenix Suns will be in for another close contest as the two sides boast very different qualities that have helped them get to this stage. However, the sky is the limit for the Suns, who were not fancied by too many to make it this far. They have two dogged competitors in Chris Paul and Jae Crowder leading a team of young, athletic stars spearheaded by the face of the franchise, Devin Booker.
This article will examine five reasons why we believe the Phoenix Suns can topple the Milwaukee Bucks, with Game One on home court this Tuesday (July 6).
How the Phoenix Suns can beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals
#1 Chris Paul's leadership
Nothing will be more important to the Phoenix Suns' title hopes than Chris Paul's leadership. He, alongside coach Williams, has helped turn a Suns team that had failed to make the playoffs since 2010 into serial winners. They finished with the second-best record in the NBA and are just four wins away from glory and the franchise's first-ever ring.
In doing so, Paul has finally reached the Finals after 16 years of pain, injury and bad luck. Suns fans can be sure he will stop at nothing to win the title that has evaded him throughout his illustrious career.
The 36-year-old has been instrumental in the development of Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, as well as backup point guard Cameron Payne. Paul has battled through a first-round shoulder injury and became one of only four players in league history to register a 40-point game without a single turnover. He accomplished this during game six against the Clippers.
Paul brings a level of experience few other players in the NBA can challenge and he is bound to have a say in who wins this series.
#2 The Suns' bench depth
Crucial to any team's success in the playoffs is the effectiveness of their bench. To win titles, you need the entire roster to contribute, which the Phoenix Suns have benefitted from throughout their run to the Finals.
Both Cameron Johnson and Cameron Payne have been magnificent off the sidelines for the Suns, scoring over eight points each and grabbing 1.9 steals between them per game. Johnson has shot at over 50% from the field over the 15 matches he has been involved in. Payne, meanwhile, has made every free-throw he has attempted and dished out three assists in just over 18 minutes a night.
In the playoffs so far, the Phoenix Suns' bench has outscored the Milwaukee Bucks' bench. They have shot at a higher rate across all shooting metrics, grabbed more rebounds and dished out more assists. Their +/- is also 1.7, compared to the Bucks' 0.2.
#3 The rise of Deandre Ayton
As discussed in an article prior to the playoffs, there was a lot of hope among Phoenix Suns fans that Deandre Ayton could be one of the breakout stars of this year's postseason. The 6'11", 22-year-old hasn't disappointed them.
Ayton has averaged 16.2 points and 11.8 rebounds while shooting at a stellar rate of 70% from the floor in the playoffs, all of which are higher than his regular season stats. He gave the LA Lakers all kinds of problems, scoring over 20 points in the opening three games of that series.
He has recorded five games of 15+ rebounds, including bringing down a staggering 22 boards in game four against the Clippers to go along with 19 points. In that series, he upped his output when it mattered most, averaging 17.8 points and 13.7 rebounds. He also had arguably the highlight of his career so far when he dunked on Ivica Zubac for the game two winner.
#4 Phoenix Suns' home court advantage
Although home court advantage has been a bit blurred in the NBA playoffs, the Phoenix Suns have been largely good in front of their home crowd.
They are 6-2 in their arena, losing once to the Lakers and once to the Clippers. Against the latter as well as the Denver Nuggets, the Suns won both their opening contests at home, which they will need to do against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Finals.
During the regular season, the Phoenix Suns had the fourth-best home record and won the most games on the road among all the teams in the league.
#5 Devin Booker
Aside from Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker is the other star player who could decide this series. The 24-year-old shooting guard has been electric in his postseason debut, averaging 27 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting at 44% from the field and 91% from the free-throw line.
He has had seven 30+ point games so far, including two above 40 and has shown up in clutch contests. In the critical game six against the LA Lakers, Booker put up a whopping 47 points and 11 rebounds. Then, with Chris Paul sidelined in game one against the Clippers, he recorded a 40-point triple-double.
Guess the Lakers players!
