Suns All-Star Competition for Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton

The Phoenix Suns last sent three players to the All-Star game during the 2006-07 season, punching tickets for Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, and Amar’e Stoudemire. Hard times fell upon the franchise after that era, but now with the team led by Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton, another chance at glory and trio of All-Star nods lie within their reach.

Boasting a 26-7 record, almost no other squad stands parallel with the Suns from a team standpoint. A sobering loss to the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day forced them to surrender the Western Conference’s top spot, but that game meant very little in the grand scheme of things.

The Suns remain a top tier team both with regard to their total wins and with what the metrics tell you. They even find themselves currently in the top-10 in offensive rating, defensive rating, assist to turnover ratio, and true shooting percentage.

But more importantly, Phoenix plays big during its most crucial moments. The Suns own the league’s highest field goal percentage during clutch situations, even shooting 10 percentage points above the next closest team. They also average the most points per clutch minute, and carry a 7-3 record against teams above .500.

But when looking at Booker, Paul, and Ayton all as individuals, their competition for All-Star admiration at their respective positions feels a bit more challenging. With a Western Conference that remains riddled with talent even amidst a resurgence in the East, this “big three” for the Suns might need to scratch and claw for All-Star bids as voting proceeds from this week on.