With 16 teams in the NBA playoffs, the Suns are favored by many. This season, they have the best record in the league with 64 wins and 18 losses, eight wins ahead of the second-place Grizzlies. This is the biggest difference in the league's first two records since the 1999-2000 season. As a big hit to win the championship, what makes the Sun so good, ESPN recently wrote an article to give the answer.
1. Chris Paul
This season is Paul's fifth time in assists, and his ability to organize his pass is a big reason why the Suns have a top offense. With Paul's passing alone, the Suns can score 29.5 points per game, the most in the league. This season, the Suns have blocked second in the league, behind the Jazz.
2. Booker's score
What's the scariest thing about the sun? Paul may not even be their best player in the backcourt, the 25-year-old Booker is at his peak, he is going through his best season of three-point shooting, and what sets him apart even more is that at Booker's age, he is keen on the middle distance.
3. Outstanding performance at key moments
Entering the final 5 minutes of the fourth quarter of the season, with a five-point difference between the two sides, Paul delivered 34 assists and only six turnovers, ranking second in shooting percentage among players who shot more than 40 times at key moments this season.
Who is number one? The answer is Devin Booker, who has a total record of 33 wins and 9 losses at key moments in the season, the league's best record since the 2015-16 Warriors. They won 221 points in the fourth quarter, more than twice as many as the second-placed team. If that kind of performance is maintained in the playoffs, it will be a bit difficult for other teams to beat the Suns.
4. Offensive efficiency
The Suns are fifth in the league in offensive efficiency for two reasons, with their shooting percentage being the league's first, while they're well controlled in terms of turnovers.
5. Defensive improvement
In the 2018-19 season, the Suns ranked 29th in the league in terms of defensive efficiency, but since Paul and Monty joined, the Suns' defense has improved, last season's league sixth, this year is already the league's third, and Bridges has become one of the league's best flanking defenders.
6. Lineup depth
Cameron Johnson, Crowder, Craig, Payne, McGee, Billy, Billy, Biyombo, the Suns don't lack depth at almost every position.
7. Competitors
Looking at the other strong teams in the West, Morant, Curry, Doncic have some health problems, and so far, the Suns have no major injury problems to solve. Of course, that could change in an instant, and Paul understands that best, but at least for now, it's hard for other competitors to beat the Suns.
8. Monty Williams
From taking over the Suns to the present, Monti's coaching performance is obvious to all, and he is the best coaching candidate of the season.
9. Ayton progresses
Another reason the Suns were able to win in the playoffs was that they had one of the best big men in the league, Ayton improved both offensively and defensively this season, and he scored as efficiently as he did in last year's playoffs. In the 2021 playoffs, Ayton shot 66% from the field, the highest shooting percentage of players in NBA playoff history who have made more than 150 shots. The pressure he put on opponents under the basket and his performance during the blocking process made him one of the Suns' most valuable players.
10, the Sun is last year's Western Champion
Finally, don't forget that the Suns stood out from the West last year, and this season's multiple indicators show that the Suns are getting better than before, which is perhaps their best chance to win the championship.
in Kelsang