Cameron Payne

All of the attention for the Phoenix Suns goes to Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, but perhaps one of the biggest X-Factors of this year’s NBA Finals will be Cameron Payne. The 26-year-old guard has had a long journey in his professional playing career and has finally found a home in Phoenix. 

From being out of the league to being a key piece in the Suns’ championship puzzle, Cameron Payne’s story is quite remarkable. During the regular season, Payne was nothing more than a back-up guard on the bench, but he has quickly become the “Sixth-Man” in Phoenix during these playoffs.

With Chris Paul going down with a shoulder injury in the first-round against the Lakers, Payne stepped up and immediately made a difference for the Suns. Paul was out again for the Suns to begin their Western Conference Finals series against the Los Angeles Clippers and yet Payne stepped up with no problem, scoring 29 points and dishing out 9 assists to help Phoenix win. 

He has continued to make a difference either in or out of the starting rotation for Phoenix and will be a key for the Suns in this series against Milwaukee, especially when Chris Paul is out of the game. Milwaukee is really talented defensively especially against guards, so what Cameron Payne can achieve offensively could make or break the Suns. 

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In the postseason, Payne has averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 assists and has shot 36.4% from three-point range, which does not look like much value, but he has quickly become invaluable to this Phoenix Suns organization. 

They are going to need Payne to step up from time-to-time in this series and hit big shots if they are to beat the Milwaukee Bucks. Having a reliable backcourt is extremely important to win a title and the Suns have a pretty strong one with Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Cameron Payne.