Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Who really should be on the all-time Suns team?

By Adam Maynes

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 24: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns high-fives with fans after scoring 70 points against the Boston Celtics on March 24, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 24: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns high-fives with fans after scoring 70 points against the Boston Celtics on March 24, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Connie Hawkins PF/SF

BOSTON – 1973: Connie Hawkins #42 of the Phoenix Suns shoots a jump shot against the Boston Celtics during a game played in 1973 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1973 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON – 1973: Connie Hawkins #42 of the Phoenix Suns shoots a jump shot against the Boston Celtics during a game played in 1973 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1973 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) /

“The Hawk” is probably the most gifted scoring big man the Phoenix Suns have ever been blessed to have on their roster. Imagine if he had been able to play his entire career in the NBA rather than a portion in the ABA and the Harlem Globetrotters – he may be near the top of the list of all-time scorers in league history to this day.

Having that kind of scoring and athleticism off the bench would be impossible to stop as he could focus almost exclusively on receiving alley-oops from the far more passively gifted point guards on this roster than he had during his actual Phoenix Suns career. He could actually be a two points-a-minute scorer.

But here’s the kicker: with his athleticism, he actually could  play the small forward if he added an outside shot, creating unimaginable matchup problems for opposing defenses. Hawkins played in an era in the NBA without a 3-point line so we’ll never really know what he would be capable of from afar. In his two ABA seasons he did attempt 31, although he only made 5. However, that was still an era when a shot from outside was relatively taboo, so odds were he never really practiced it. Add that shot and maybe even to this day Suns fans are talking about Connie Hawkins as the true G.O.A.T.

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