The trade deadline has come and gone and the Phoenix Suns did not make a major move. We have seen the competition get even stiffer as the Denver Nuggets (McGee & Gordon), Portland Trail Blazers (Powell) & Dallas Mavericks (Reddick) have both added quality pieces to their rotations. The Western Conference has just keeps getting deeper.
Still, sitting at 2nd in the West it's hard to argue that standing pat is the wrong choice. This Suns roster is balanced with seven players averaging double figures on the season. Much of the core is still so young that a lot of improvement can be expected internally. Then there are quality veterans like Galloway, Moore, Nader, and Kaminsky that can make an impact if called upon.
Take a look at the players averaging double figures this season:
Player |
Points Per Game |
Devin Booker |
25.1 |
Chris Paul |
15.9 |
DeAndre Ayton |
14.7 |
Mikal Bridges |
13.5 |
Jae Crowder |
10.3 |
Cam Johnson |
10.1 |
Dario Saric |
10.0 |
With that said, to be a legitimate championship contender that improvement and growth needs to happen quickly. It's been a while since Suns fans have witnessed this, but defensive rotations get crisper in the playoffs. Breakdowns and open shots are much harder to generate. This is why teams shorten their rotations from 10 players to 8 or even 7. Every play is crucial. The Suns will get a taste of that this season. It will help them mature and they will be better for it in years to come.
But how does this current roster stack up to recent Champions? I've compiled a list of the recent Championship teams. I listed every player averaging double figures in the regular season and then the ones that averaged double figures in the playoffs.
Team |
Regular Season Averages |
Playoff Averages |
2020 LA Lakers |
Anthony Davis: 26.1 LeBron James: 25.3 Kyle Kuzma: 12.8 Dion Waters: 11.9 |
Anthony Davis: 27.7 LeBron James: 27.6 Kentavious Pope: 10.7 Kyle Kuzma: 10.0 |
2019 Toronto Raptors |
Kawhi Leonard: 26.6 Pascal Siakam: 16.9 Serge Ibaka: 15.0 Kyle Lowry: 14.2 Jonas Valanciunas: 12.8 Fred Vanvleet: 11.0 Danny Green 10.3 |
Kawhi Leonard: 30.5 Pascal Siakam: 19.0 Kyle Lowry: 15.0 |
2018 GS Warriors |
Kevin Durant: 26.4 Stephen Curry: 26.4 Klay Thompson: 20.0 Draymond Green: 11.0 |
Kevin Durant: 29.0 Stephen Curry: 25.5 Klay Thompson: 19.6 Draymond Green: 10.8 |
2014 GS Warriors |
Stephen Curry: 23.8 Klay Thompson: 21.7 Draymond Green: 11.7 Mareese Speights: 10.4 Harrison Barnes: 10.1 |
Stephen Curry: 28.3 Klay Thompson: 18.6 Draymond Green: 13.7 Harrison Barnes: 10.6 Andre Iguodala: 10.4 |
2015 Cleveland Cavaliers |
LeBron James: 25.3 Kyrie Irving: 19.6 Kevin Love: 16.0 Dahntay Jones: 13.0 JR Smith: 12.4 |
LeBron James: 26.3 Kyrie Irving: 25.2 Kevin Love: 14.7 JR Smith: 11.5 |
What takeaways can we come away with from these?
- Every Superhero Needs A Sidekick
- The Stars Get Brighter While The Role Players Fade Away
Finally, don’t be surprised to see the supporting casts production drop off in the playoffs. Championship caliber teams don’t have seven double digit scorers in the playoffs. Minutes get squeezed as days off between games, longer commercial breaks, and matchups mean everything. For a Suns team that has relied so heavily on depth throughout the year, that advantage can be marginalized simply by the nature of playoff basketball.
- Keep an eye on Bridges and Ayton
If this roster becomes a championship level team it will take growth internally. Those are the two most likely candidates. Sure Cam Johnson is capable of surprising us too. But he is much less likely to make that jump than the other two.