Phoenix Suns: 3 Mistakes the Suns Cannot Afford in NBA Finals

Arizona’s darling, the Phoenix Suns, now find themselves coming off of an electrifying Western Conference Finals win in which Chris Paul broke out of his slump, dropping 41 points, four rebounds, and eight assists on the Los Angeles Clippers to help them advance.

Moving onto the NBA Finals, the Suns will represent the West for the first time since 1993, when Charles Barkley led Phoenix against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Ultimately, this marks Phoenix’s third ever trip to the Finals, with the team still chasing their first title.

Our Suns though, beaming with confidence as we speak, seem very up to the task. Relatively speaking, this team has been the pinnacle of consistency for most of the 2021 playoffs, a tournament where consistency seems impossible to achieve both mentally, and especially physically.

Before their bout with the Clippers, Phoenix flashed their toughness first against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, winning the series after six games even with Paul laboring through a shoulder injury. After that, they swept MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, building on a postseason win streak that would soon become a franchise-best run at nine straight victories

However, this Suns team did start to show some signs of immaturity during the Conference Finals, making a few questionable choices, while allowing a few bad habits leak through. It may be nothing to be too worried about, but it is still important to recognize what can be improved.

So, off to the paper and pen film room to examine some of the minor cracks in Phoenix’s armor.