* Great on-court leadership… Referee-related complaining aside, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better on-floor leader than Chris Paul, who, even after 16 years of NBA service, remains one of the top point guards in the game, a legitimate coach on the floor who younger teammates can look up to and ask for advice mid-game. As evidenced in his last two stops, including his lone campaign with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Paul makes everyone better, and not just because of his elite playmaking or tidy mid-range scoring, but thanks to his abilities to lead teammates.
* Three of their top four players could/should see improvement… Because he’s been in the NBA for so long, it’s hard to fathom that Devin Booker isn’t even 25 yet. Deandre Ayton, meanwhile, is still just 23 while Mikal Bridges enters his fourth season at 25 years old. And with the way the latter two have been developing over recent seasons, there’s a good chance the Suns will see growth from at least two of their four most important players, and potentially from Booker as well, who could use what he learned during Phoenix’s trip to the Finals to reach another level. If all three see some modicum of improvement, that could be scary for the Suns’ opponents next season.
* They are incredibly well-balanced… Even on the best teams in recent NBA history, there has been some positional overlap or stylistic similarities that have led to on-court awkwardness between teammates. But this Suns team is built magnificently, with an elite playmaking point guard, a go-to scorer at 2-guard, two bulldog swingmen who thrive on both ends of the floor and are fine with their roles as slashing spot-up shooters, and a rare potentially dominant big man down low.
* Strong connection between players and coaching staff… Listen to any post-practice or -game press conference for Phoenix and you’ll often hear gushing from the players about head coach Monty Williams and the rest of the coaching staff or vice versa, with Williams often heaping praise on Paul, Booker, Ayton or any other Suns player who had a big outing. There’s clearly a strong connection between players and coaching staff with the Suns, and that goes a long way in helping team morale during the doldrums of the NBA season.
