Disappointment clouded the Phoenix Suns last season when they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals, but the 2021-22 season offered new hope and redemption for this team that knows they are good enough to win a title.
Chris Paul came to Phoenix ahead of last season with one thing in mind and that was to win a title with Devin Booker and the Suns. With other key talents in Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and Cameron Johnson, Phoenix certainly has a chance to make this season special.
After defeating the Dallas Mavericks 109-101 on Thursday night, the Suns are about 54% done with their season and improved to an NBA-best 35-9 on the year, now 3.5 games in front of the Golden State Warriors for the top-seed in the Western Conference and the league.
In addition to having the best record in the NBA, the Suns also have the best road record in the league at 18-4 and they have shown no signs of slowing down, even with Ayton and others missing time here and there.
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The Suns have a deep roster, they have arguably the best leader in the NBA in Chris Paul and most importantly, they have an elite-level scorer in Devin Booker.
While breaking the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors’ 73-9 record is out of question this season, the Phoenix Suns could very well break their own franchise record for wins in a season. The Suns have won 62 games twice (1992-93, 2004-05) and having the sixth easiest schedule remaining according to Tankathon, Phoenix could very well finish with over 62 wins on the year.
Basketball-Reference is giving the Suns a 100% chance to make the playoffs right now, even though they technically have not clinched a playoff berth just yet, and is projecting them for 61 wins, which is pretty much right at this mark for breaking their franchise-record.
Not only does Phoenix have some of the best depth and one of the best overall rosters in the league, but when taking a look at the rest of the Suns’ schedule, it is very clear to see why they have such a good chance to win over 62 games.
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21 of their remaining 38 games this season (55.3%) are against teams that currently have a losing record and they play the Warriors and Grizzlies, the two other top teams in the Western Conference, each once the remainder of the way.
Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton and the rest of the Suns’ roster are extremely important to the success of this organization, but Devin Booker has really started to transform himself into a superstar in this league.
In 37 games this year, Devin Booker has averaged 24.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and has shot a career-best 39.4% from three-point range. Since December 1, Booker is averaging 26.5 points per game and has scored at least 30 points in 7 of the 16 games he has played in this time span.
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Phoenix has suffered some losses here and there, but overall, this team has no flaws. They rank 6th in the league in offensive rating, 2nd in the league in defensive rating and seem extremely motivated after losing to the Bucks in the NBA Finals, which is why the Suns are the most dangerous team and the best team in the NBA right now.
“We all trust each other,” Booker said following his team’s most recent victory over the Mavericks. “We had a lot of learning curves last year, but having that time and that experience together, I know put us in a situation where we never hit the panic button.”
If they can remain healthy the rest of the season, the Phoenix Suns will not only finish with the best record in the NBA, but they will have a real chance at setting a new franchise-record for most wins in a season.
