(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
The NBA playoffs are almost here, and 16 teams will battle for the right to cradle the Larry O’Brien Trophy this June.
In the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets appear to be the clear leader of the pack, but that wasn’t the case when the season started.
Many people thought the Phoenix Suns would have a real shot at reaching the NBA Finals about six months ago, but they instead won a modest 49 regular-season games and finished sixth in the conference.
ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins said on Friday that the Suns have more to prove in the playoffs than any other West team because of their immense star power.
.@KendrickPerkins says the Phoenix Suns are the team in the West with the most to prove in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/OchOTUkA4K
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 19, 2024
The Suns boast Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, and they gave up an unfathomable amount of draft capital to get Durant and Beal in recent months.
In addition, they had to part with a very good player in Mikal Bridges to get Durant last February, and since then, Bridges has blossomed into a borderline star for the Brooklyn Nets.
This has only increased the amount of pressure on all three stars and the entire Suns franchise to win it all very soon.
Phoenix dealt with injuries to both Beal and Booker during the regular season, but roster construction seems to be their biggest problem.
They don’t have a real point guard or floor general, and although their bench isn’t as weak as initially feared, it is still somewhat iffy, especially in the frontcourt.
Phoenix lacks functional size off their bench, and that could hurt them in the playoffs, if not in the first round versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, then in the next round against either the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Lakers.
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