Ever since the Denver Nuggets won the NBA championship last summer, there has been a feeling among some that they’re close to unbeatable when it matters. That notion was further reinforced last week when they defeated the Boston Celtics 115-109 to take the season series 2-0.
The Nuggets aren’t unbeatable, though. Even if they are excellent, they aren’t as well-known as the Boston Celtics from the mid-1980s, the Los Angeles Lakers, or the Chicago Bulls from 1996. As a result, there’s always a chance they lose in the first round of the playoffs this year.
Is there a Western Conference team that has a chance to defeat Denver before the NBA Finals begin? According to podcast presenter Kevin O’Connor, the Phoenix Suns have a chance.
Last week, the Suns overcame Nikola Jokić and team in overtime, winning 117-107 despite wasting a late lead in the opening frame. Despite their poor shooting, they managed to stave off Denver during the extra time thanks to big baskets from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
There’s no denying Phoenix has a lot of star power. With Durant, Bradley, and Devin Booker, it boasts maybe the best star trio in the NBA. Each of these three beasts can go hot and lead the club for extended periods of time.
At age 35, Durant is playing as well as he ever has, and Booker is one of basketball’s best one-on-one scorers. In addition, Booker has been masquerading as the Suns’ point guard — they don’t have a real one — and is averaging 6.8 assists to go along with 27.5 points a game.
Still, there are problems with the Suns. They have had difficulty staying healthy this season, to start with. Of their 65 games this season, Beal has only participated in 36, and Booker has missed 14 games. They also don’t have much of a bench, at least not offensively. Jusuf Nurkić is their only truly big backup center, and they rank 29th in bench points per game.
However, Phoenix should have a strong chance of defeating the reigning world champions this spring if it is healthy due to its star power.
