Like the rest of us you have probably been gripped by the "82-0" phenomenon that is sweeping the NBA world. With it being the offseason we thought we'd have a little fun and flip it on its head, and try and create an 0-82 Phoenix Suns roster from the decade so far.
Harder than you would think given the Suns were contenders (or trying to be) for a while there, while we've also given ourselves the caveat of picking a player for each position who played 20 games or more for the team in any given season.
Point Guard - Elfrid Payton
The kind of awful start you would be hoping for, Payton's time with the Suns came in 2021-22, just after the high of making the NBA Finals. With Chris Paul still in town he still managed a surprising 50 appearances (and a single start), at 11 minutes played per night.
This was a difficult choice as a result of Paul calling The Valley home for the first few years of the decade, (we still miss you Chris) and the franchise followed his departure up with having no true point guard on the roster there for a while.
A special mention must also go to Saben Lee who did qualify, but Payton wins out here because his best years in the league were well and truly behind him by the time he got to Phoenix, and they weren't that great to begin with.
He followed up his stint with the Suns by being out of the league and playing elsewhere for two seasons, before two brief stints with the New Orleans Pelicans (he second stop there) and Chicago Bulls. Payton did not feature in the NBA in 2025-26 although he continues to hang around the G League in hopes of breaking back in again one day.
You might have forgotten but the former Orlando Magic lottery pick did also play for the Suns in 2017-18, starting in all 19 games he appeared in after being traded there at the deadline by the team who drafted him. At nearly 30 minutes a night, 11.8 points and 6.2 assists per game, Payton was much more productive then.
That doesn't count against this decade however, and if anything only strengthens the case to have him appear here.
Payton doing his best work for the Suns while they were only beginning to find their feet with Devin Booker, putting up stats on a bad team. When Phoenix needed more of that when they brought him back as understudy to Paul, it didn't happen.
When you consider he was battling long-term pros such as Jevon Carter and Cameron Payne to avoid this spot, it is no wonder he was included. The kind of ugly start we were hoping for, on to shooting guard.
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