Not winning the championship = losing! The Suns are officially among the champions, Allen is the first in the league with two statistics, and it should not be traded
"Not winning = losing". For the Phoenix Suns, from returning to the Finals stage in 2021 and losing the championship, to stopping in the Western Conference semifinals in 2022 and 2023, the Phoenix team's appetite for the championship has been fished, especially after sending away Paul and Ayton in consecutive trades, forming a "Booker + Durant + Beal" triumvirate lineup, with the goal of only winning the championship. So the Suns, who rushed to fifth place in the West with seven consecutive wins, already have the capital to rush out of the West to compete for the championship? The Suns have been among the championships, and the strongest opponents in the West will be the Nuggets and the Clippers, and the top 3D player Allen's three-point crosshairs and free throw crosshairs are the first in the league, and he should not become a bargaining chip for the Suns.
The Suns have won 7 consecutive games to enter the championship, and the strongest opponent in the West, the Nuggets Clippers
When the Suns held a 2-0 lead in the 2021 Finals, they unfortunately lost four games in a row and were reversed by the Bucks to lose the championship, missing their best chance to win the championship. Later, the Suns collapsed mysteriously in the 2022 Western Conference semifinals, and were finally eliminated by the Mavericks led by Doncic 3-4, and then lost to the eventual champion Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals 2-4.
After the Suns changed owners, the new owners have been committed to building a championship lineup, and the template for the Big Three lineup of "Booker + Durant + Beal" is to aim for the championship. It's just that in the first 1/3 of the schedule of this season, the Suns' Big Three have never been able to really continue to fit together, and the injuries of the three have become the fundamental factor restricting the Suns' progress.
Now, with the Suns three all recovering their health, they are gradually getting through the difficult period as they continue to run in, and the Suns are also starting their own "Northern Expedition" mode as the previous Clippers Four. After the Suns defeated the Mavericks by 16 points, a wave of seven consecutive wins has improved to 26-18, overtaking the Pelicans to move up to fifth in the West.
As for the 12-3 record after the Christmas game, the Suns have the best record in the league for the same period. The gradual improvement of the Big Three naturally allows the Sun to see the hope of breaking out of the west. Although the Suns have been criticized for not having a pure point guard, the Big Three are all capable of taking on the task of playmaking, Booker has proven that he will be an excellent two-way guard, and Beal also has the ability to play, especially Durant has long proven his ability to play as a playmaker.
The fundamental factor restricting the Suns from competing for the championship is actually a health factor, and once the Big Three fall again, it will be extremely difficult for them to compete for the championship. As long as the Big Three remain healthy, the Suns are undoubtedly expected to be among the No. 1 title contenders in the West, with the biggest competitors in the West undoubtedly the defending champions Nuggets and the Clippers with the Big Four.
Although the Thunder and Timberwolves are currently in excellent momentum, the Suns are not afraid of the playoff competition, and the Western championship opponents that the Suns really want to target are still the Nuggets and Clippers, whose core competitiveness and lineup thickness are the top in the West.
Allen's two data are the first in the league, and the league's top 3D should not be traded
Although the Suns have been extremely good recently, they are also watching the trade market and the buyout market, according to the United States, the Suns are interested in Bridges and Richards, and the main chip is Allen, who has played the best performance of his career this season.
It's just that after the Suns build a Big Three lineup, the team actually doesn't have too many trade chips, they lack enough young players, and they don't have a first-round pick to compete, so if the Suns insist on trading, it is likely to "hollow out" the remaining family foundation, especially to destroy the existing chemistry, but it is more than worth the loss.
As for the 28-year-old Allen, as the league's top 3D player today, he played 39 games for the Suns this season, averaging 13.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks per game, with a three-point shooting rate of 49.3% to set a career record, which is also the first in the league, and the free throw shooting rate of 90.3% is also the first in the league.
Allen is the Suns' No. 4 scorer behind the Big Three and the league's highest three-point shooter, hitting 2.8 three-pointers per game. Allen's two three-pointers in a single game this season, and four at least eight three-pointers in a single game, have proven that he is an indispensable musketeer for the Suns.
Even though the Suns are eager to upgrade their frontcourt lineup, the 1.93-meter Allen doesn't seem to be tall enough, but his tough defense has always been famous in the league, even if he is even accused by many people of being a little "dirty", but he is a much-needed player for the championship team. As the league's top 3-and-D player, Allen, who is in his contract year, is expected to continue to play high-quality performances to get a bigger contract for himself in the offseason, so public opinion generally does not support the Suns trading Allen away.
The Suns want to continue to upgrade the roster, and it is difficult for them to make big moves in the trade market, perhaps a more realistic approach is to focus on the buyout market to "pick up leaks" and see which players who are bought out are interested in joining, after all, the championship team still has a good attraction.
(Text/Drunken Sleeping)