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The Phoenix Suns are in the middle of an extended rest period as they wait to find out who their NBA Western Conference Finals opponents will be. Monty Williams' side swept the Denver Nuggets in their semifinal series, while the LA Clippers and Utah Jazz are locked in a rigorous matchup, with the former currently leading 3-2.
Whoever their opponents are, the Phoenix Suns will back themselves after winning their last six games in the postseason. They have all the pieces to reach the NBA Finals and will be relying on Chris Paul's leadership to take them there.
In this article, we examine three areas of the Suns game so far in the playoffs that they have excelled in and must continue if they are to have a chance to fight for a title.
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3 things the Phoenix Suns must continue to reach the NBA Finals
After winning eight straight games in the NBA bubble last year, there was renewed hope for the Phoenix Suns fanbase coming into this season. They then upgraded their squad with key offseason acquisitions - Chris Paul and Jae Crowder - both of whom have brought playoff experience to a team previously lacking in that area.
The Suns finished the campaign with the second-best record in the NBA and threatened to steal the Utah Jazz's top spot in the West. They are one of the NBA's elite sides on both ends of the court and have shown they have the assets to bring a first championship to the franchise. It will all depend on who they face next and how they perform.
#3 Shooting consistency
To progress to the NBA Finals, it is a given that a team must shoot the ball well, which is what the Phoenix Suns have done so far. Against a stiff Lakers defense, they shot at 45.8% from the field, over 35% from downtown and at 84% from the free-throw line - all of which were higher rates than their opponents.
Fast forward to their semifinal series with the Denver Nuggets and the Suns shooting just got better and better. Chris Paul was lethal from midrange while, as a team, they have led any other side still in the postseason in every shooting metric for the ongoing round of fixtures.
Three players have shot at 100% from the FT line during the playoffs while Devin Booker and CP3 have both scored over 91% of their efforts.
Keeping up their consistency will be more difficult in the Western Conference Finals as both the LA Clippers and Utah Jazz finished considerably higher than the Nuggets for defensive rating this year. The Jazz ranked top for the fewest 3-point efforts allowed, while the Clippers ranked 6th.
Coming back after an extended break will make it difficult for the Phoenix Suns to return to their shooting form straight away. They will rely on DeAndre Ayton and Devin Booker's efficiency should Paul miss the first couple of games.
#2 Defensive solidity
During the regular season, Monty Williams' Phoenix Suns side were one of the most menacing on defense in the league. They ranked 7th for fewest points conceded and fourth for fewest assists by their opponents.
Nevertheless, they have managed to take their defensive solidity to another level in the playoffs and currently boast the second-best rating in the postseason, conceding only 104.7 points per matchup.
Granted, both the Lakers and Nuggets were missing key players from their starting lineups, but the Suns have looked a different beast on defense. They have grabbed the second-most defensive boards of any side and rank inside the top five teams for steals.
All five of the Phoenix Suns' regular starters rank inside the top-13 starters in the playoffs for defensive rating, coming in under 104.3. Jae Crowder has been particularly impressive, especially while guarding LeBron James in their first-round series.
Potential opponents, the LA Clippers and Utah Jazz, both currently score more points per game in the postseason than the Suns and shoot the ball better from downtown. Therefore, Phoenix are going to have to continue to lock-up defensively if they are to progress to the NBA Finals.
#1 Continued trust
One thing that has become abundantly clear about this Phoenix Suns side, as was evident with the Miami Heat's last year in the bubble, is that everybody trusts one another. Williams has a deep roster to choose from, with nine players so far averaging over 11 minutes per game. Of these nine, six are currently averaging over ten points - all of whom are shooting at over 41% from the field.
They have the assets to make the NBA Finals and have two bonafide scorers in Paul and Booker to go to if they need buckets. As a team, they have ranked third so far for assists of any side in the playoffs, with the Philadelphia 76ers the only remaining one still competing. Their total is three more than the LA Clippers and over five more than the Utah Jazz per game so far.
If they are going to reach the Finals and compete for a ring, they will have to continue to trust one another on the court. Especially if they make it to that stage and have to face one of the Eastern Conference's big three sides.
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