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Every basketball fan dreams of the day their team’s captain holds the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy aloft, signifying their team are the champions of the National Basketball Association (NBA). There are 12 NBA franchises that have never experienced winning the NBA championship, but that should reduce to 11 this season thanks to the Phoenix Suns looking almost unstoppable.
The Phoenix Suns began playing in the NBA in 1968 as an expansion team. They did not hit the ground running and quickly garnered a reputation for being a mediocre team. The Suns reached the NBA Finals in 1975-76 but lost 4-2 to the Boston Celtics. Suns fans waited until the 1992-93 season to experience the NBA Final again. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bulls beat them 4-2.
A Third NBA Finals Appearance
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Last season, the 2020-21 campaign saw the Suns shine during the regular season and post a 51-21 (.708) record. They swept aside the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and the LA Clippers in the playoffs but fell 4-2, again, to the Milwaukee Bucks in their third finals; it was the Bucks’ first championship in 50 years. This season, the best online PayPal betting sites have the Suns as the overall favorites to finally win the NBA Championship.
The 2021-22 Phoenix Suns are on course to log their best-ever record during a regular season. Through the first 64 games, Suns are 51-13 (.797). Suns went 62-20 (.756) in 2004-05 and 61-21 (.744) in 2006-07. Last season’s superb season, which resulted in a third NBA Championship appearance, saw the Suns end their campaign 51-21 (.708). This season’s team is even better.
October 20 was the date of the Suns’ first regular-season game, and the team’s fans hoped their players would make up for the bitterly disappointing NBA Finals last of the previous campaign. However, they slipped to a 98-110 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The rest of October saw the Suns struggle for form, and they ended 2-3 across their opening five fixtures.
Amazing Winning Streaks
Whatever head coach Monty Williams said to his players and did with them behind the scenes in November worked wonders because his Suns went 16-0. Including the last game in October and the first of December, the Suns went 18-0. December saw the Suns falter slightly, going 9-5, but they returned to their brilliant best throughout January with only a 100-123 defeat at home to Miami Heat spoiling another perfect month on the court.
The Suns are currently 51-13, having lost last time out in a high-scoring 122-132 game at reigning champions Milwaukee Bucks. This record means Memphis Grizzlies, the second-placed team in the Western Conference, are a staggering 8.0 games behind the Suns in the race for the divisional title; it is the Suns division to lose. For comparison, Miami Heat leads the Eastern Conference, and they are currently 44-22 (.667).
Why Are The Suns So Good?
This season’s Suns are so good because its best players are all on the top of their game; it is that simple. Chris Paul denies his 36 years and is pulling the strings with a career-best 10.7 assists per game. However, a fractured thumb looks like keeping Paul out of action for up to eight weeks.
Devin Booker is the Suns’ highest-paid player with a $31,650,600 salary and is living up to his hefty price tag. The shooting guard averages 25.6 points per game and was part of the NBA All-Star team for the third consecutive year.
Then there is the meteoric rise of Deandre Ayton at center. The first overall NBA Draft pick of 2018 has come on in leaps and bounds since making his Suns debut and is now one of the best centers in the league. The 6ft 11in man mountain has bags of natural ability and could go on to become one of the greatest centers of all time.
The wait for an NBA Championship looks set to end this season because nobody can lay a glove on the seemingly unstoppable Phoenix Suns.
