Forty days is what separates us today from the end of the 2021-22 regular season. A month and a half before the Playoffs – or the Lottery – each franchise honed its weapons during the trade deadline on February 10, then recently took advantage of a week of All-Star Break to ask itself some essential questions. to a regular end in the nails. The objectives are not the same everywhere, of course, but we also quickly settled on the main themes of the six weeks ahead of us, by selecting for each franchise three small questions, three ideas to develop. Non-exhaustive choice of course because otherwise it never ends, and we leave without further delay on the end of the season of… Suns.
Live or survive without Chris Paul
The Suns with Chris Paul? 48-10. The Suns without Chris Paul? 3-3. Ok, this report must also be put in parallel with the current absence of Devin Booker and more recently of Cam Johnson (2-1 without D-Book) but the observation is quite clear and observed by all: the Suns play less well in basketball without Chris Paul. Until then, nothing very illogical to say that a team is less good when one of the best leaders in history does not hold the baton, but what we mean by that is above all that it will be necessary to avoid the final collapse, of fatigue too, after three first quarters of regular history, and that it will be necessary, above all, to know how to bounce back in the event of a major problem with CP3… during the Playoffs. As we know, Chris the Magnificent gives relief to everything he touches, but a mixture of lose and fragility has also made him famous for his shortcomings in the spring, and today the desire to see him finally crowned joins the fear that he will do it to us the other way around, once again. If necessary the Suns will have to find the resources to get out of it, tadam following paragraph in particular, the first place seems whatever it; arrives quite safe considering the firecracker put in the design since October, but to popularize the thing let’s say that the Phoenix fanbase can now cross their fingers so that their little general doesn’t have too much pain in April. Or on his shoulders. Or on his knees. Or at his ankles, in short, we understood each other.
Devin Booker and Fashion MVP?
28 points, 5 rebounds and above all 8 assists on average since he took the lead of the team alone, a little tour through the COVID protocol box that we had almost forgotten, all that to say that in the absence of Chris Paul Devin Booker will have to take the lead and, why not, change his game a bit. First indication? He is capable of it, since his playmaking has become incredible over the past two seasons when he was “only” promising until then. Second clue? Devin Booker cannot become Chris Paul because that would mean he is no longer Devin Booker. Mean by this that the qualities of D-Book are specific to him, that they have been largely responsible for the demo of the Suns for two years, and that to triumph this season it will be necessary during the absence of CP3 a boosted Armani and to his return a boosted Armani. Even more than usual. If the Suns were not champions in 2021 it is also because opposite stood an enemy of another kind, the kind of those who hit 50/14 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, and c It is this caste that Devin must join this year. Without further ado. If it’s not Giannis who crashes in front it will be Stephen Curry, or Ja Morant, or Nikola Jokic, or even LeBron James, and if by chance the Suns were to pass the pitfall of the West the Giannis, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum or Kevin Durant would remember that every champion has his glutton. Yes, we just invented the expression, but what we want is Booker as we saw against the Lakers in the first round last season, Booker who crashes 45 every night, Booker in mission. Because if the Suns are above all an incredible war machine, your next paragraph, a champion also stands out for cannibalism and therefore the positive selfishness of his leader. Can Devin Booker be? Devin Booker must be.
In full, wouldn’t the Suns be THE favorites for the title?
We come there. Obviously the Suns have become a steamroller again thanks to the arrival of Chris Paul, thanks to the entry of Devin Booker in the superstar category. But what Monty Williams has been striving to build for several years goes well beyond an All-Star doublet. In our humble opinion? There is everything in this team. A future Hall Of Famer and all but useless back-ups (Cameron Payne, Elfrid Payton), a referenced pivot more gifted than the average and whose production is magnified by his leader (Deandre Ayton), capable of being the X factor of a meeting or even a series because physically few interiors can hold it in the NBA. A Mikal Bridges who can defend on the six positions, yes we invented one so well he does it, a Mikal Bridges who can also become the Y factor of any match or even of any series, yes we is repeated but the bug sometimes gives the impression that he is as strong in attack as in defense, and one speaks of one of the five best defenders in the League. Add to our grub a young sniper with long teeth (Cam Johnson), an essential pit bull in this kind of conquests (Jae Crowder), a luxury back-up to Deandre Ayton and who also knows the recipe for playing Finals and even winning titles (gentlemen never forget that JaVale McGee has three rings and an Olympic gold medal) or even a Torrey Craig who nobody talks about but who was reinstated in order to top a few missions in the Playoffs, and you end up with one of the most complete and well-cooked stews in years. An armored roster at all levels, driven by a legend and another who dreams of becoming one and boosted by a few soldiers sure of their strengths and well aware of their tasks, all under the orders of a coach who no longer has much to prove if not a clever time-out in a Game 7. You know what? She looks like a favorite of this team, and it would also be in logical continuity to see the Suns at the top in June. We’ll discuss it again later ?
