After 2 seasons ended in disappointment, what is key for Suns returning to win championship?

Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic
·4 min read
4
Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton drives to the basket past assistant coach Michael Ruffin as the team holds an open practice for fans at the Footprint Center on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton drives to the basket past assistant coach Michael Ruffin as the team holds an open practice for fans at the Footprint Center on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
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The Phoenix Suns know how last season was supposed to end for them, but they still have a team good enough to win an NBA championship this season.

“We’re back on our feet and that’s how this brotherhood thing works,” Suns big Deandre Ayton said. “Just back to the grind and have dudes around you on the same mission as you.”

The Suns also know other teams have bounced back from that type of disappointment and ended the following season as the last team standing.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors are the two most recent teams to do so.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts while holding the NBA Championship trophy, left, and Most Valuable Player trophy after defeating the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals in Milwaukee, Tuesday, July 20, 2021. The Bucks won 105-98. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts while holding the NBA Championship trophy, left, and Most Valuable Player trophy after defeating the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals in Milwaukee, Tuesday, July 20, 2021. The Bucks won 105-98. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Milwaukee Bucks

2019-20 record: 56-17 (Best record in NBA)

Playoff results: Lost to Miami Heat in conference semifinals, 4-1.

2020-21 record: 46-26 (3rd in Eastern Conference).

Playoffs results: Won NBA championship (Defeated Suns in finals, 4-2).

Golden State Warriors

2015-16 record: 73-9 (Best record ever in NBA).

Playoff results: Lost to Cleveland Cavaliers in finals, 4-3.

2016-17 record: 67-15 (Best record in NBA).

Playoff results: Won NBA championship (Defeated Cavs in finals, 4-1).

The Warriors and Bucks each made a major move that paid dividends in achieving that feat.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) has the ball stolen by Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (21) in the final seconds during Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Footprint Center July 17, 2021.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) has the ball stolen by Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (21) in the final seconds during Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Footprint Center July 17, 2021.

Milwaukee acquired Jrue Holiday in a four-team deal in November 2020.

They later traded for P.J. Tucker in March 2021. Holiday and Tucker were difference makers in Milwaukee’s title run.

Holiday averaged 17.3 points and 8.7 assists in the playoffs.

He made arguably the biggest play of the finals when stealing the ball from Devin Booker and finding Giannis Antetokounmpo for a lob dunk with 13.5 seconds left to give the Bucks a three-point lead in a Game 5 stunner in Phoenix.

Second round: Bucks forward P.J. Tucker (17) yells in the face of Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) during the second half of Game 3.
Second round: Bucks forward P.J. Tucker (17) yells in the face of Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) during the second half of Game 3.

The Bucks closed out the series in Game 6 in Milwaukee.

Tucker started 19 out of 23 postseason games. He only averaged 4.3 points in the playoffs, but served as a veteran presence for Milwaukee. Tucker scored 11 points, hitting 3-of-5 from 3, in a Game 7 overtime win against the Nets in the conference semifinals.

Playing five seasons in Phoenix, Tucker added five rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 38 minutes before fouling out.

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant gestures as he holds the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after Game 5 of basketball's NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland, Calif., Monday, June 12, 2017. The Warriors won 129-120 to win the NBA championship. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant gestures as he holds the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after Game 5 of basketball's NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland, Calif., Monday, June 12, 2017. The Warriors won 129-120 to win the NBA championship. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Warriors made an even bigger move in signing Kevin Durant in the offseason after losing to the Cavaliers in the finals. They had just set an NBA record for most wins in a single season, but strengthened their roster even more with Durant.

Golden State breezed to an NBA title the following season, beating Cleveland, 4-1 as Durant won finals MVP. Durant averaged 35.2 points on 55.6% shooting (47.4% from 3), 8.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists in the finals.

The Warriors won a second straight championship in 2017-18 with Durant winning finals MVP again.

The Suns have a chance to duplicate what the Warriors and Bucks did and bounce back from failing to win it all with the league’s best record, then capturing an NBA championship the next season.

New season: Suns open brutal 5-game stretch with rematch versus Mavs

Bruce Brown #11of the Denver Nuggets drives against Mikal Bridges #25 of the Phoenix Sun in the first quarter during a preseason game at Ball Arena on October 10, 2022, in Denver, Colorado.
Bruce Brown #11of the Denver Nuggets drives against Mikal Bridges #25 of the Phoenix Sun in the first quarter during a preseason game at Ball Arena on October 10, 2022, in Denver, Colorado.

So far, they haven’t made a major move like Milwaukee and Golden State did.

Phoenix was unable to come to an agreement this summer with the Nets to land Durant, who demanded a trade out of Brooklyn and wanted to play in Phoenix.

The Suns signed Damion Lee and Josh Okogie to one-year deals and traded for Jock Landale, but those three aren’t expected to make a huge difference for them.

They’ve been trying to trade Jae Crowder as the veteran forward wants out. Crowder and the Suns “mutually agreed” he wouldn’t attend training camp.

Suns update: Jae Crowder on inactive list going into season opener

Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) reacts during action against the Dallas Mavericks during game one of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center.
Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) reacts during action against the Dallas Mavericks during game one of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center.

Maybe they’ll be able to land a valuable contributor when trading Crowder, but matching Indiana’s offer sheet of four years, $133 million in July to keep Deandre Ayton may prove to be the big move that leads to a title.

The Suns could’ve traded him or declined to match the offer sheet and let Ayton walk. With him, Phoenix has a center with All-Star talent who it’s looking to involve more offensively.

Ayton may very well be the difference maker in what winds up being a championship season for Phoenix.

Analysis:  Ayton-Williams relationship key for Suns to contend for NBA championship

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Do Phoenix Suns need to make major move to win NBA title this season?