What do the Phoenix Suns need to do to win this series?
Chris Paul’s shoulder injury will likely continue to be a storyline in these playoffs because we just simply do not know how healthy he is. In their first-round series against the Lakers, Paul looked great in some games, but other games, he looked like he was in a lot of pain and could not do much.
He is going to play in this series against the Nuggets, but if Paul is still limited, then Cameron Payne will once again be the key to success for the Suns. Against the Lakers, Payne averaged 12.5 points, 3.3 assists and shot 42.3% from three-point range. Every time the Suns needed something to create momentum against L.A., Payne always stepped up and either hit a big shot or made a big play for one of his teammates.
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Against Denver, Payne will have some favorable matchups against Facundo Campazzo and Monte Morris, which is why he needs to remain aggressive and step up to knock down some big shots. Not only will Payne have to step up, but Mikal Bridges will also have to have an impact.
He only averaged 9.3 points per game in their previous series against the Lakers, but scoring is not necessarily where Bridges will make an impact with the Suns against Denver. Michael Porter Jr. is going to be a problem for the Suns given his size and shooting abilities, which is why Mikal Bridges is going to be a key to success for the Suns.
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Bridges is the only guy on this roster with the length and defensive abilities to be able to create a problem for Porter Jr., which is why this matchup between Bridges and Porter Jr. is going to be one to keep an eye on in this series.
All season long, Mikal Bridges was known to be one of the better perimeter defenders in the league given his 7’1” wingspan and while knocking down an occasional three-pointer will be huge for the Suns, his versatility to be able to guard Porter Jr. on the wing will be extremely important for Phoenix.
Phoenix was one of the best defensive teams in the league during the regular season, but Denver did play really well against them, scoring 120+ points twice, which is why this series has a chance to be one of the best series of this year’s playoffs.
