The Phoenix Suns made an abrupt rise to the NBA Finals last year, overcoming their widespread inexperience and a few notable injuries along the way while doing so. As a team that missed the playoffs for a brutal 10 consecutive years before that, they surpassed all expectations—and set new standards for the seasons yet to come.
These higher expectations not only include more postseason success for the Suns, but also increased productivity on each individual player’s behalf. Luckily, those two things typically go hand-in-hand with each other, making things simple for Phoenix.
But more specifically, chasing some hardware other than the Larry O’Brien trophy might be a worthwhile pursuit for a few Suns players next year amidst this general call for the team to keep winning. Earning an individual award almost never represents player’s lone goal to start a season, but Phoenix has everyone’s attention right now, and a several talented players. That embodies a perfect recipe to do so.
The last Suns player to receive such an honor was Goran Dragic, who captured the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award after the 2013-14 season. Before him, Leandro Barbosa snatched a Sixth Man of the Year Award after his 2006-07 season, and of course, Steve Nash won back-to-back MVPs right before that.
Needless to say, significant time has passed since the last time the league properly appreciated a Suns player. But across their stacked roster, these two players stand out amongst the rest as the top candidates to end that cold streak.