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The Phoenix Suns have historically been an underperforming franchise. Despite having 2 MVPs and 10 Hall of Famers in their franchise history, they have failed to win a single NBA title. Since 2015, the Suns have been in the rebuilding phase behind their star point guard Devin Booker along with center Deandre Ayton. The addition of veteran Chris Paul in the 2020-21 off-season is a step in right direction for the young Suns core.
Phoenix Suns have had only two winning seasons in the last decade and have failed to reach playoffs since 2010-11. The franchise's fortunes have improved significantly since the hiring of Monty Williams in 2019. In his first season as the head coach, the team doubled its winning percentage from 0.232 to 0.466.
Phoenix Suns 2020-21 NBA Season Preview: Playoff contenders in the Western Conference
Chris Paul's mentorship and experience was on display during his latest stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Phoenix Suns would look to take a step further and make some serious noise behind the Los Angles Teams. The team won 34 games and despite going 8-0 in the NBA Bubble narrowly missed the 2019-20 playoffs on a tie-breaker with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Phoenix Suns are banking on the potential of 23-year-old Devin Booker and 21-year-old Deandre Ayton. Booker had a career year last season, averaging 26.6 PPG while Ayton improved on his rookie season with 18.2 PPG. Now that the Suns have added veterans Chris Paul and Jae Crowder, analysts expect them to finish as the middle seeds(5-7) in the Western Conference.
Phoenix Suns: 2019-20 NBA Season Record
Regular Season: 35-37 (.486)
Conference: 10th seed (West)
Division: 3rd position (Atlantic)
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Key Acquisitions
G Chris Paul, C Damian Jones, SF Jae Crowder, G Langston Galloway, G E'Twaun Moore
The Phoenix Suns had an eventful off-season. They made the marquee signing of Chris Paul and strengthened their bench by adding likes of Jae Crowder, Damian Jones, Langston Galloway.
Chris Paul has been one of the league's greatest playmakers and has the 7th most assists in NBA history. His ability to distribute the ball and his on-court vision will help unlock Devin Booker's scoring potential. Paul's skills on the defensive end will also bolster this Phoenix Suns squad.
Crowder's presence will take some weight off Mikal Bridges' shoulders. He averages 11.9 points and 5.4 assists with a shooting percentage of 44.5 percent from beyond the arc. Crowder was a key figure in the 2019-20 Heat's run to the NBA finals. He also brings 4.1 rebounds per game to the Phoenix Suns.
Both Langston Galloway and E'Twaun Moore have had strong performances in the last season with scoring averages of 10.3 and 8.1. This bolsters the Phoenix Suns' bench scoring, which has been their Achilles heel in the past.
Phoenix Suns Predicted Lineup
G Chris Paul, G Devin Booker, F Jae Crowder, F Mikal Bridges, C Deandre Ayton
Complete Roster
Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, Deandre Ayton, Alexander, Ty-Shon, Carter, Jevon, Galloway, Langston, Smith, Jalen, Šarić, Dario, Payne, Cameron, Nader, Abdel, Motley, Johnathan, Moore, E'Twaun, Jones, Damian, Johnson, Cameron
Overview
The Phoenix Suns have the potential to be a strong dynasty in the NBA for the next decade. Their young core of Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges are still on rookie deals while Devin Booker has the potential to be the face of the league for the next decade. Booker already had some league all-time NBA performances and put the league on notice by emerging as the best player in the Orlando bubble.
The Phoenix Suns would love to run the clock back and bring the glory days of Steve Nash and Charles Barkley back to the Phoenix Suns' Arena, to go one step further than their 1993 and 1976 Conference final winning run. Monty William will depend on Chris Paul's leadership to help build a winning culture in the Phoenix Suns locker-room.
Prediction for the Phoenix Suns' 2020-21 season
The Phoenix Suns are expected to have a good regular season. The squad is looking to build on their Bubble momentum from last season, and the addition of veteran power will help them finish close games — something they have struggled with in the past.
The Western Conference has grown weaker with the Warriors struggling with injuries, Rockets with the Harden saga, and OKC on full rebuild mode. The Phoenix Suns got their timing right by signing a Hall of Famer in Paul, who makes everybody around him better, while also making key additions via free agency and the draft. No other team except the Lakers had a better off-season than the Phoenix Suns.
The Phoenix Suns should finally return to the playoffs this year after a hiatus of a decade. Depending on how everyone on the roster fits together and the health of veteran Chris Paul in the playoffs, they can surprise many pundits with a deep playoff run.
