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.
Phoenix Suns Guard Devin Booker 2022 All-Star Competition
Devin Booker – 23.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.6 APG (.455/.422)
With everyone able to vote for two backcourt players and three frontcourt players, the league technically pits Devin Booker and Chris Paul against each other for All-Star votes. An opportunity for them both to make it of course still exists, but with no distinction between point guard and shooting guard, one might earn the honor at the other’s expense.
But in a team-first spirit, I’ll split things up by position, comparing Booker against more wing-oriented backcourt players, and Paul against primary ball-handlers. As it stands now, Book finds himself scoring a bit less this year, but off to a fantastic start from an efficiency standpoint.
Donovan Mitchell – 25.4 PPG, 5.0 APG, 3.8 RPG (.457/.337)
Given how they rose to NBA stardom at similar times and team success in the West, Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker feel like fierce rivals, likely to duke it out for years to come.
This season though, Mitchell averages 25.4 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. By those metrics, Booker and him stack up incredibly close, with Book averaging 23.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. When considering how most fans look at points before anything else, Mitchell might seem like the probable choice, skating out to a +2.3 point per game advantage.
But When addressing these players from an efficiency standpoint, Booker takes a slight advantage thanks to his massive 3-point percentage increase this season. Right now, Booker posts .455/.422 shooting splits, while Mitchell’s stand at .457/.337.
Fans might not look this far into the comparison, but Booker’s shooting from deep represents the only significant discrepancy between these two players. For those that do though, Booker will surely get their vote over Mitchell.
Luka Doncic – 25.6 PPG, 8.5 APG, 8.0 RPG (.447/.326)
With his per game averages, Luka Doncic beats Booker across all three major statistical categories. In doing that, he immediately builds a strong case for himself over Booker.
Granted, Doncic’s percentages look less attractive this year, with his shooting splits at .447/.326, which have him shooting slightly better than Booker from the field, but far worse from downtown.
However, All-Star voting revolves mainly around hype and glamour rather than more advanced metrics. With Doncic’s averages stronger across the board, he likely earns more votes than Booker during this first stage of voting.
Anthony Edwards – 22.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.6 APG (.434/.360)
Listed as a guard on the All-Star voting site, Anthony Edwards also squares off against Booker despite playing more often as a small forward.
No matter how he got here though, Edwards remains a strong candidate to possibly steal some votes. Being a second-year player, coming into his own with a fantastic season thus far, excitement and fun seem to follow Edwards everywhere, promoting some fans to favor him when casting their ballots
But still, with him averaging 22.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, Booker beats him across every stat with exception to his rebounds, which makes sense once again due to Edwards more frequently playing the three. With Edwards’s shooting splits also at .434/.360, Booker plays more efficiently as well.
Given those numbers, Booker should easily defeat Edwards in voting, just as long as voters are wise enough to look past the House of Highlights Tik Toks and Bleacher Report Instagram posts which go crazy for Edwards.
Phoenix Suns Guard Chris Paul 2022 All-Star Competition
Chris Paul – 14.1 PPG, 10.0 APG, 4.1 RPG (.484/.316)
As the pure point guard for the Suns, Chris Paul takes on the others out West who meet that definition. He finds himself going up against an undisputed MVP-candidate, one guy starting to find his groove, and two superb youngsters.
Steph Curry – 27.7 PPG, 5.9 APG, 5.3 RPG (433/.397)
Steph Curry stands a top-two scorer right now, trailing only Kevin Durant. On the other hand, Paul reigns supreme as the league’s top assist guy, averaging 10.0 per game. But as we all know, NBA fans value scoring before passing, and with that, Curry’s +13.6 point scoring advantage hoists him well above Paul for All-Star consideration.
With him already nominated by most as an MVP candidate, this should come as no surprise for Suns fans. Paul remains a marvelous talent, but he sits a tier below Curry, who frankly looks like a guys who belongs on his own most of the time.
Damian Lillard – 23.9 PPG, 7.4 APG, 4.1 RPG (.403/.328)
The Damian Lillard comparison to Paul feels a bit tricky. From an efficiency standpoint, Lillard finds himself laboring through a tough season, currently with career lows from the field and three.
But still as a volume scorer, he still owns a +9.8 point per game edge over CP3. Also with Lillard seemingly turning it up over his last 10 games, averaging 27.5 points per contest on .403/.359 shooting splits, his scoring advantage will likely inflate as he puts his early season woes behind him.
At least for now though, Paul’s superiority everywhere other than the scoring department tells you he is having the better season on paper. But once again, voters often prioritize points per game above everything else, where Lillard posts a significant advantage. Paul’s chances over Lillard’s will simply come down to how much each voter cares to look beyond that first figure.
Ja Morant – 23.7 PPG, 6.8 APG, 5.5 RPG (.478/.350)
Much like Lillard, Ja Morant’s scoring resembles his most crucial argument against Paul. But unlike Lillard, Morant also beats CP3 on the glass and with his long range shooting.
With the Grizzlies performing so well this year behind Morant, also with youth and excitement factor on his side, expect Morant to snag some votes away from Paul and Lillard, beating them both through the early rounds of All-Star voting.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 22.7 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.8 RPG (.420/.283)
Everyone scores more than Paul on this list, including SGA with his 22.7 points per game. He also possesses a slight rebounding advantage, but after that, Paul wins out handsomely everywhere else.
His 10.0 assists per game nearly double Gilgeous-Alexander’s, and Paul shoots better from the field and from three by significant measures as well. SGA deserves recognition for his growth and vigor having carried the Thunder all season, but not All-Star considerations over Paul.
Phoenix Suns Center Deandre Ayton 2022 All-Star Competition
Deandre Ayton – 17.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.6 APG (.626/.143)
With the frontcourt allowing three votes, Deandre Ayton finds himself with a greater probability to make this year’s All-Star game than his backcourt teammates. However, he also finds himself up against a much larger competition pool, which stretches out to small forwards as well.
But regardless, Ayton already made notable strides with his play this year, carving out a +2.6 point per game increase from the year prior, making him the fourth highest scoring big in the NBA. Also shooting at a 62.6 percent clip, he owns the league’s seventh highest field goal percentage.
Nikola Jokic – 25.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 7.1 APG (.559/.350)
As the reigning MVP and an early candidate for the award again this year, Jokic remains a tier above Ayton and almost certain to attain more votes than him. His numbers also reflect his superiority, with the Joker averaging far more points, rebounds, and assists.
I would like to pretend that this does not matter when giving out honors, but general likability also factors into voting, and I cannot think of a more likeable player than Jokic. Constantly cracking jokes and with a child-like approach to the game, he makes watching the game fun, and therefore easy to vote for.
Karl Anthony Towns – 24.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.6 APG (.510/.426)
Even with a recent trip into league health and safety protocols, KAT finds himself enjoying another fantastic season.
When compared to Ayton, he holds a +7.4 point per game advantage, while Ayton averages 2.0 more rebounds per game. Their assist totals mirror each other, which then takes us to the efficiency side of things.
From the field, Ayton shoots the ball far better, owning a double-digit lead in percentage points. But Towns’s 3-point shooting ability as a big makes him special, and leaves Ayton in the dust in that regard, shooting a career-high 42.6 percent.
With so many variables contradicting Ayton and Towns, this one feels like a toss up for the most part. However, with points per game typically carrying the most weight, odds are that Towns stretches out to a slim lead to begin voting.
Rudy Gobert – 15.4 PPG, 14.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, 2.3 BPG (.731/.000)
As a more defensive minded big, Rudy Gobert compares differently to Ayton than every other big on this report. His blocks per game tally ranks second, and his rebounds per game reign supreme over all NBA players, including Ayton.
Gobert also shoots far better from the field, and neither player really possesses a 3-point shot, allowing us to toss that out the window. However, Ayton takes the cake this time around when it comes to points and assists.
Gobert surely deserves some appraisal for his dominance as a defender, but from a voting perspective, it feels like NBA fans this year have grown tired of Gobert only putting up strong defensive numbers, especially after last year’s postseason. Other players previously earned the nod over Paul and Booker due to their likability and the importance of scoring, so this time around, it works in Ayton’s favor, as he likely takes an early lead over Gobert.
LeBron James – 27.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.7 APG (.520/.353)
King James quietly finds himself enjoying another incredible season, likely overshadowed by his team’s undying issues. As it stands now, he appears better than Ayton across every statistical category minus field goal percentage.
James also carries the largest fanbase for an individual player arguably in NBA history. He makes this year’s All-Star game without question, and over Ayton if it comes down to them both.
Jonas Valanciunas – 18.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, (.522/.453)
As another 3-point shooting big man, Valanciunas is enjoying a career-year with the Grizzlies. Although his numbers stand close, he still outduels Ayton from a statistical standpoint everywhere except field goal percentage.
He might not secure more votes with Ayton as the younger, more popular player, but the numbers do not lie—Valanciunas deserves the nod over Ayton. However, with values less than two separating their scoring, rebounding, and assist numbers, and with ample time for Ayton to close that gap, he likely jumps ahead on the stat sheet and the polls by the time voting ends.
Draymond Green – 8.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.4 SPG (.547/.289)
Draymond Green’s numbers look alien to everyone else’s mentioned on this report. However, as a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, he will earn some votes for this year’s All-Star game.
But regardless, casual fans will likely see his minimal scoring and disregard him immediately. The fan vote counts for half, and Green cannot do well there with these numbers. He might secure a late reserve spot, but not one before Ayton.
Kristaps Porzingis – 20.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.2 APG (.445/.280)
When he heats up, few look more unstoppable than Kristaps Porzingis. He currently averages more points and assists per game than Ayton, but less rebounds. For the most part, Ayton wins out with his efficiency, shooting almost 20.0 percentage points better than the lengthy Latvian.
However, if Porzingis turns it up like he has for a few stretches this year, he might give Ayton some trouble. But for now, his inconsistency keeps him at bay, prompting Ayton to develop a voting advantage against him as well.