The Phoenix suns They are the best team in the NBA, after a season in which they went from being a promising squad to a group that has the arguments to win the championship.
Unlike other projects in the league, the road was not easy for the Suns, who before their presence in the 2020-21 postseason did not know what it was like to be in an NBA playoffs since the 2009-10 campaign. Yes, their last great team featured Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire.
? 2-0 Phoenix lead as the series shifts to Milwaukee … the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV continues SUNDAY NIGHT with @Suns vs. @Bucks Game 3 at 8:00 pm/et on ABC! pic.twitter.com/zcZWVfqBUX
– NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2021
From 2010 to 2013 the Suns simply couldn’t find a way to maintain a stable roster, and with coach Alvin Gentry they encountered all sorts of failures, in part because the management was really mediocre.
Things started to look a little different after the selection of Devin Booker in the 2013 draft, as surrounded by such interesting figures as Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe, they came very close to entering the postseason.
Precisely, it is Booker who became the axis of this team since then, however, at least until the 2018-19 season, the path seemed diffuse, since they had a brilliant scorer, but a squad full of doubts that he saw pass unsuccessful coaches like Earl Watson and Igor Kokoskov.
The @Suns may have the second-worst record in the league, but they are stocked with young talent https://t.co/gd8JSNYJD8 pic.twitter.com/gnZLXQOVYv
– The Ringer (@ringer) February 7, 2017
The leadership changed course with the choice of Deandre ayton in 2018, as after finding no solutions in Josh Jackson, Ayton arrived as a talented piece that could finally support Booker. However, this was not enough at the beginning and during that season they finished with a 19-63 record.
The first sign that they were a team with potential to fight for the championship occurred in the 2019-20 season, since after being one of the worst teams in the NBA, coach Monty Williams found a system to take advantage of Booker and Ayton , but drawing on young figures like Mikal Bridges and Kelly Oubre.
They came to the Orlando bubble as a squad without much hope of qualifying for the playoffs, but they managed to surprise locals and strangers, becoming the only undefeated team in the eight regular season games played, being very close to qualifying. This was the final wake-up call for the league.
Perfect 8-0 in the bubble for the Suns.
Unreal. pic.twitter.com/uxsI7Yy6kr
– ESPN (@espn) August 13, 2020
The consolidation of this squad came for the 2020-21 season thanks to the presence of Chris paul, a player who had just led a young squad in the Oklahoma City Thunder and after years of failures was ready to make a new bet on the NBA championship.
The trade for Paul was quite costly, delivering Kelly Oubre, Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a first-round pick from 2022. In hindsight this may be the most significant move in the organization’s history.
The regular season only solidified the team’s aspirations, posting the NBA’s second-best record at 51-21. The playoffs have been an arduous road due to the physical problems of Chris Paul, however, after beating the Lakers, the Nuggets and the Clippers, today they are two victories against the Bucks from hanging their first championship banner.