“Phoenix Suns need to win the title this year”, NBA insider dishes out CRUCIAL reasons

Tim Bontep feels the Phoenix Suns are in the best position to win an NBA Championship this season with Kevin Durant on their squad

“Phoenix Suns need to win the title this year”, NBA insider dishes out CRUCIAL reasons

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns have been a dominant playoff force in the NBA over the last two seasons, and after the trade for Kevin Durant, NBA analysts feel they have no excuse to lose the championship. ESPN writer Tim Bontep said – “When you trade all those picks for a guy in his mid-thirties with the injury history KD has… They gotta take advantage of this right now.“

The Phoenix Suns traded four first-round picks and three of their bench players for Kevin Durant during the 2023 trade deadline. They have essentially traded away their future for a ring right now, and Tim Bontep feels that anything but a championship would be a disappointment. “This team is healthy right now, the west is wide open…Who knows what they’re going to look like next year and beyond,” said Tim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvpzK-u0hKY

“They only started playing in April with this group… Only eight games with KD and not against elite competition,” added Bontep while explaining the challenges Phoenix could face. Every blockbuster trade has implications, as seen with the Dallas Mavericks crashing and burning after trading for Kyrie Irving. The Suns ended the season going 7-2 with KD returning from injury and will look to carry this form into the playoffs.

The Phoenix Suns first challenge this playoffs are the Los Angeles Clippers

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Devin Booker (left) and Paul George (right)

The 4th seeded Suns take on the fifth-seed Los Angeles Clippers in a highly anticipated matchup. These two teams last met in the 2021 Conference Finals when the Suns beat them in 6 games to advance to the Finals. The Clippers, however, were without star forward Kawhi Leonard that series, and his addition would be crucial as he has championship experience from his time with the San Antonio Spurs.

Kevin Durant will face old friend turned foe Russell Westbrook in the playoffs for the first time since they split ways in 2016. Westbrook and Durant have got into heated arguments during their regular season clashes between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Still, the playoffs are a different level of competition.

The Phoenix Suns are the favorites to make it out of the Western Conference this season, but the Clippers will not be a pushover. Los Angeles has Kawhi Leonard and Paul George averaging over 22 points per game this season with reliable role players around them. The Suns start their quest for the NBA championship on the 16th of April.

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