Former Suns player rubs salt in wounds with heroic performance in playoff win

The Phoenix Suns have to watch from the sidelines as the excitement of the playoffs unfolds in front of them, and it is worrying to think about just how badly they would have been exposed had they actually made it to the postseason. Across every game in the opening weekend - particularly in the Western Conference - there was no chance they could have beaten any team competing.

The Oklahoma City Thunder may have handed the Memphis Grizzlies a history-making beatdown - but when thinking about the matchups had the Suns played the Grizzlies instead - it would have been a lot closer. Other than that, perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that Phoenix was able to escape to the offseason without getting hammere on a national stage.

Cameron Payne's performance for the Knicks painful to watch.

One of the more difficult aspects of watching the playoffs when you're not involved is when a former player shows out for another team. There are several players who once called The Valley home who are competing in the postseason, but perhaps none are as divisive as point guard Cameron Payne.

He was traded by the Suns a couple of years back in a cap sheet move around the time they went after Bradley Beal more than anything else, with the franchise firmly rooted in the second apron ever since. Payne certainly has his flaws - but lacking in confidence in the big moment was not one of them - who could forget those 31 points for the Suns in the playoffs versus the Denver Nuggets?

Now playing for the New York Knicks, and their fans are having a similar experience with Payne. Some nights during the regular season he attempted to do too much with that streaky left-handed jumper of his. Coming off the bench he was a hindrance for head coach Tom Thibodeau, who we all know loves to run his starting players into the ground.

Game 1 against the Detroit Pistons however was the best of Payne, and it served as a painful reminder for the Suns as to what they're missing. At a time when the Pistons were hanging around and getting a fantastic game from Tobias Harris, Payne came off the bench to the tune of 14 points in 15 minutes.

He played his part in a 21-0 run that blew the game open for the Knicks, and most importantly played with the kind of energy and urgency that was missing in The Valley all season. He's still not a great defender and when he's feeling it Payne is going to step into some ill-advised heat-check shots that do not go in.

But it is also fair to wonder if - as we mentioned above - the Suns would have been in a better place having Payne in place of Tyus Jones. That is harsh on Jones - who started the season incredibly well and deserved his starting spot - but it petered out badly for him. Maybe it would have been better to have Payne coming off the bench the whole time, it could have settled the rotation in Phoenix.

Payne has a relationship with Devin Booker, and he played with Kevin Durant in the past as well. That aforementioned 31 point performance might not have been enough against the Nuggets in the playoffs, but Payne did outscore Durant to lead the team on that occasion. Payne had to go, but that doesn't make watching him succeed in the playoffs for another team any easier.