Kevin O’Connor, Ringer say the Suns are “here to stay”

“They are looking like a team that’s going to be in the playoff conversation next season,” Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer says in this YouTube video.

O’Connor disagrees with Draymond Green, and says Booker can win with this organization, from their GM to their coach to the team around him.

KOC has been an outright Devin Booker fan for years, and a closet Suns fan as well. Now, he can finally come out of his closet and wave his orange towel with teh

“These are types of tough shots that can translate to playoff success,” KOC says of Booker’s offensive game that we here in Phoenix have watched 82 times a year for the last four agonizing years. He talks about Booker’s fundamentals, creative and aggressive passing (his “360 vision”), and overall shot profile to outline a future playoff-level leader.

I mean, we’re talking about one of only three players ever to post multiple seasons of 26 points and 6 assists before turning age 25 (LeBron James and Oscar Robertson), so it makes sense he’s got a fan in KOC but I give tons of credit to him for paying attention earlier than most all of the rest outside the desert.

“He’s leveled up and the Suns are built for future success,” KOC says of the Suns roster improvements.

We’ve talked all season about how James Jones raised the water level of the team with his changes up and down the roster, and people like KOC are now giving him credit for that work. Going into the final seeding game on Thursday, the Suns are 1st in net rating, 3rd in offense, 4th in defense and 1st in our hearts among the 22 teams invited to the Bubble.

KOC goes through nearly the entire roster and, when he got to Cameron Johnson, admitted outright that he was wrong about Cam’s ceiling in the NBA.

“Improvement on defense has been a theme this season.” He shows a lot of clips, focusing hard on Bridges, Johnson and Deandre Ayton on that end, showing both good and bad (mostly good).

Watch this story, and you won’t be able to suppress a smile. KOC even talks about the whirling dervish backup back court at one point!

“If the Suns keep getting better, soon they could be a team that’s contending for much more than a playoff spot.”

• Here’s the rundown
• Devin Booker skills analysis (1:00)
• Phoenix’s offense explainer (7:22)
• Mikal Bridges’ length (8:34)
• Cam Johnson’s defense (9:59)
• Deandre Ayton’s development (11:05)
• What now? (12:33)