What the Phoenix Suns need to do in order to win the NBA Finals
Going 8-0 in the NBA Bubble last year and coming up just short of the playoffs may have been the best thing to have ever happened to the Suns because it not only proved that they were close to breaking through, but it started a fire within everyone associated with this Phoenix Suns organization.
Guys like Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and others all became fueled and even more motivated to prove themselves to the rest of the league, which is why Suns’ GM James Jones went out and made the moves he did last offseason. Acquiring Chris Paul was obviously a huge move for Phoenix, but so was signing guys like Jae Crowder and Cameron Payne.
Throughout the 2020-21 regular season, the Suns seemed like they just could not lose a game and they were dominant all season long. They lost back-to-back games just four different times during the regular season and they never lost more than three games in a row!
We already knew Chris Paul was one of the best point guards in NBA history, but this season may have been his best in terms of leadership and bringing out the best in his teammates. The stats may not show it, but Paul was one of the best players in the league all year long and most of his work came off-the-court.
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Instilling a great work ethic in his teammates and helping them get better on and off-the-court really helped Chris Paul not only become the leader of this Suns team, but gain the trust of everyone around him. Paul was great for this team, but so was head coach Monty Williams, whose voice resonates within every single one of his players.
This Suns team just looks so locked in together and they have all bought into each other’s strengths and weaknesses. This is why they have a very strong chance to win the NBA Finals, but their success against the Bucks will come down to two things.
The first thing the Suns need to do in order to win their first championship ever is focus on controlling the pace of play. Being patient on offense and not letting the Bucks get out in transition on defense will be extremely important for Phoenix in this series, especially since they play with one of the slowest paces in the league.
READ MORE: Why the Phoenix Suns will win the 2021 NBA Finals
Assuming Giannis will be able to play at some point in this series, the Suns will really need to focus on playing “their” game instead of the Bucks’ game because they simply cannot stop Giannis. In two regular season games against the Suns, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 47 points and 33 points, so creating a wall and not letting him push the pace for the Bucks in transition will be key.
The second and final thing the Suns will need to do in order to win a championship is not be afraid to go to their bench when needed. Looking at their roster on paper, the Suns look very underwhelming, but their bench has been huge for them in these playoffs.
Cam Johnson, Torrey Craig, Dario Saric and most importantly, Cameron Payne have all stepped up in big ways and have helped propel the Suns to the NBA Finals. All four of these guys will have to continue to play big minutes when their number is called in the NBA Finals in order for the Suns to win their first championship ever.
