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From the moment Chris Paul arrived in Phoenix, the franchise that survived the coaching carousel of Earl Watson, Jay Triano and Igor Kokoskov felt a relevance they hadn’t experienced since the beloved Seven Seconds or Less Suns were in town. That fever pitch would only intensify over the next few seasons, culminating in an all-in gamble that has left the Suns good, but not good enough.
On November 16, 2020, the bar went from the floor to the ceiling. The Point God himself arrived via a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, lending instant credibility and on-court leadership that had been missing under the previous regime. Remember, this was on the heels of the Bubble Suns team that went 8-0 behind 23-year-old budding superstar Devin Booker. The Suns were an NBA League Pass darling but needed direction.
Becoming a Surprise Championship Contender
The general public (at least the bettors) didn’t believe in the 2020-21 Phoenix Suns, and it looked like they were right. The team’s preseason odds for wins were set at a paltry 38.5. After 20 games, the Suns sat at 11-9, fresh off a 22-point loss to Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Suns went 28-6 over their next 34 games, with Mikal Bridges, Deandre Ayton and Cameron Johnson all benefitting from Paul’s presence. Players who make those around them better are more valuable than gold in the NBA. The Suns ultimately finished 51-21, good for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and a date with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
After winning Game 1, the Suns proceeded to drop the next two, watching Anthony Davis run roughshod over them, scoring 34 points in each game. In a twist of fate, Davis left Game 4 with an injury, playing just five more minutes in the series, watching as the Suns reeled off three straight wins en route to a 4-2 series win.
The Suns dispatched the Denver Nuggets in a 4-0 sweep before a Western Conference Finals showdown against Paul’s old team, the Los Angeles Clippers.
Adversity is part of all professional sports, and what often separates the winners from the losers is overcoming it. The Suns as a franchise have been tortured by key suspensions, untimely injuries and big-time shots made against them in the clutch.
It looked like the Suns were going to be on the right side of lady luck, as the Clippers would be without Kawhi Leonard, but it was for naught, as Paul tested positive for COVID-19, taking him out of at least the first two games of the series.
Here we go again, it seemed. Except, this time it was different. The Suns faced adversity, losing their on-court leader, and still found a way to win both Game 1 and Game 2. Paul returned and after a contentious series, the Suns won in six games, making the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993.
Two games in, the Suns had a 2-0 lead and it felt like they might finally win their first Larry O’Brien trophy. Then, Giannis Antetokounmpo imposed his will, the Suns wilted and the heartbreak set in.
Run It Back
The Suns’ Finals run changed everything for the franchise. Booker began being looked at as a legit superstar. Bridges had developed into an elite 3-and-D player. Ayton was still just 23 years old and was a huge benefactor from Paul’s pick-and-roll mastery. The public noticed this season, with Las Vegas setting the Suns win total at 51.5.
After an uninspired 1-3 start, the Suns locked in and dominated for the rest of the regular season, ultimately winning 64 games and securing the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. It felt like a foregone conclusion that a deep playoff run was set to occur.
The feisty Pelicans succumbed in six games, with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks waiting in the second round. Another 2-0 lead, cruising along in what was expected to be another chance to put a banner in the rafters, and somehow the series got to a Game 7 in Phoenix.
The fans had no doubts because the expectations had been set so high that they had forgotten the previous heartbreak. Then, the opening tip happened, the Suns found themselves in a 30-point halftime hole, and it was over. Heartbreak, again.
A Sales Job to Please the Fans
Fast-forward through a disappointing 29-26 start to the 2022-23 season, fighting through injury and inconsistency, to a new era. On February 6, 2023, the Suns named Mat Ishbia their new owner and he promised to make a splash.
It took Ishbia just three days before pushing his proverbial chips to the middle of the pot, breaking up the Suns’ young core, ignoring chemistry and depth in order to land all-world forward Kevin Durant via a trade.
Booker and Durant proved to be as dangerous as advertised, cruising through a first-round matchup against the Clippers before a rematch with the Nuggets. Another untimely Paul injury and a superhuman effort from Nikola Jokic derailed the Suns in six games.
Although Durant would only play 19 games for the Suns in 2022-23 (eight regular, 11 postseason), the future again looked as bright as ever with one of the finest one-two offensive punches in the league with Durant flanking Booker.
Look, More Shiny Things
In another big trade, the Suns acquired Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal, sending back a package centered around Paul. It’s a move that raised some eyebrows, as the Suns unloaded the last of their depth and draft assets to acquire what looked to be a redundancy on the roster.
Still, the Suns had a desirable piece in Ayton, as a young double-double machine who needed a fresh start. On September 27, 2023, the Suns took part in a trade that moved Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, netting Phoenix Grayson Allen and Jusuf Nurkic. More shooting to flank the slashers and a bulky big to deal with Jokic was a savvy move, but no depth and no cap space placed an anvil atop the team’s championship window.
The Suns’ front office made it clear that they were willing to spend, which has had the effect of winning over a fanbase and selling tickets, but ultimately what they’ve accomplished is creating a middling playoff team without much hope for improvement.
A Look Into the Crystal Ball
Fresh off getting swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first-round Western Conference playoff series, the future is in question, especially for head coach Frank Vogel. This series was a peek in the mirror for the Suns, staring at what they should have looked like. The Wolves are led by a pair of young superstars (Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns), a bruising big to stand up against anyone in the paint (Rudy Gobert), a veteran playoff-tested point guard (Mike Conley) and a slew of defensive-minded role players.
Sure, it’s not easy to move a contract like Paul’s and to get a star in return is much better than getting nothing, but instead of fixing the holes in the team and focusing on competing with the best in the NBA, the Suns chose flash, like the NBA’s version of “chicks dig the long ball,” thinking they’ll outscore everyone.
Reality is going to set in faster than a haboob rolling across the deserts of Phoenix. They are $102 million over the salary cap, limiting any major free agent splashes. They are devoid of meaningful picks, having drained their cache to acquire their offensive core. Time is not on their side, as Durant is 35 years old, Beal is 30, Nurkic is 29, Allen is 28 and Booker is 27, and all of them have birthdays after June.
The Suns have mortgaged all they can. Continuity is their only ally, with desperate veteran minimum contract pitches to free agents their only real tool for outside improvement. The championship window might not be locked shut, but the entire front office has their fingers smashed in there, holding out hope that 2025 will be better.
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