Phoenix Suns: This Lineup Would Blow Away Teams Offensively

With a deep roster decorated with playable options at nearly every position, the Phoenix Suns enter the 2021-22 season with several possible lineup options for Monty Williams to toy around with should he please. But across them all, one stands out amongst the rest as an absolutely deadly force at the offensive end.

Phoenix Suns Unstoppable Offensive Lineup for 2021-22

• PG: Chris Paul
• SG: Landry Shamet
• SF: Devin Booker
• PF: Mikal Bridges
• C: Jalen Smith

Starting at point guard, Chris Paul of course remains intact with the position which many refer to him as a god-like figure for. Last year, he finished with an NBA third-highest 8.9 assists per game and 6.5 offensive win shares—the most on his team. Almost nobody picks apart defenses better than CP3, so keeping him at the helm for the swapped up and unfamiliar group below him remains incredibly important.

As an offensive specialist, Landry Shamet absolutely deserves a spot within this lineup. He joins the Suns this year as a deadeye shooter from range. Last season, he shot 38.7 percent from outside with 5.5 attempts per game. He also included eight games where hit five or more shots from downtown. Cameron Payne’s 44.0 percent shooting from deep last year certainly makes a case to put him into this lineup instead, but Shamet remains the more pure shooting guard, much more likely to play well off-ball beside Paul.

With Booker contrarily struggling to hit consistently from deep last year, he likely stays more efficient working down along the block. He obviously deserves a spot on any lineup with an offensive focus, but for this reason, small forward seems like the more advantageous spot to place him for the team.

Doing so might put Booker up against some larger opponents, but it will still grant him more opportunities to back down defenders and hunt for mid-range shots—where he absolutely helps his team rather than occasionally hurting it.

After earning the highest true shooting mark amongst all Suns last year at 66.7 percent, Mikal Bridges also stands before this squad as a “must have.” His long wingspan and lateral quickness still make him able to fill out the power forward spot, even despite his shorter height.

Bridges achieved such impressive scoring efficiency last year due to his 42.5 percent shooting from range, the team’s second highest mark. He also turned the ball over the fewest amongst all starters, fully embodying exactly what you want from an offensive standpoint.

However, this entire lineup depends on Jalen Smith’s NBA readiness at this point. He barely played last season even though the Suns selected him with that year’s 10th overall pick, and with the Suns planning to chase a title—he should not see the light of day until he proves himself worthy.

But if he does, he just so happens to possess all the tools necessary to take Phoenix’s offense to another level. At six-foot-ten and 215 pounds, he carries an adequate frame for an NBA center, just like Ayton. However, he separates himself from Ayton with his outside shooting.

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During the Summer League, Smith shot 35.7 percent from range, averaging 2.5 attempts per game. As a big man who consequently draws out defenders beyond the paint due to this shooting threat, Smith poises to stretch the floor exponentially for the Suns. This potential spacing paired with Paul’s incredible passing abilities will be nightmarish for opposing teams. While they run around like mad men, the Suns can sling the ball around and find easier looks for their already lethal scorers.

To reiterate though, Smith’s development remains the key to all of this. If he fails to earn court time, adding Ayton to this lineup still makes it one which no NBA defense wants to deal with. He might not apply the same floor spacing, but still remains a serviceable and incredibly efficient threat down low.