Is this the best Suns team ever?

nashman

ASFN Icon
Joined
May 3, 2007
Posts
10,228
Reaction score
6,920
Location
Queen Creek, AZ
best Suns team I have ever seen, Nash and Barkley eras included. The major reason I think so is this teams defensive capabilities. I mean they can lock teams down for spurts and can score with the best of them. It’s amazing considering just a few years ago we sucked since Nash left lol. Enjoy it fellas!
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
11,761
Reaction score
9,352
Tough question. It’s definetley the deepest, but it lacks the top tier star like Barkley.

basically, I think it comes down to how they do in the playoffs.
 

Finito

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Posts
20,906
Reaction score
13,586
best Suns team I have ever seen, Nash and Barkley eras included. The major reason I think so is this teams defensive capabilities. I mean they can lock teams down for spurts and can score with the best of them. It’s amazing considering just a few years ago we sucked since Nash left lol. Enjoy it fellas!

I think so.

This team is super efficient and by far the best defensive team in franchise history
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
112,537
Reaction score
51,770
Too early to judge IMO.

Last year's team should be included as well in any discussion. Perhaps only a backup forward/center away from a championship.

I think Bismack Biyombo said it best. "They don't have wishes, they have will."

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media
 

Bobster

All Star
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Posts
541
Reaction score
534
Location
Phoenix, AZ
For me the question is, is Paul the greatest guard to play for the Suns and the answer is yes. This is why this team is the greatest.

I think it's pretty close, but Paul and Kidd are the one who made the biggest difference of the group on the defensive end, and Paul is a better offensive player than Kidd -

1 - Paul
2 - Westphal
3 - Nash
4 - K. Johnson
5 - Kidd

Booker has a couple of seasons as an injury replacement for the All-Star Game and no All-NBA selections, so he has a ways to go.
 

Cheesebeef

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Posts
88,096
Reaction score
60,380
Clearly, no.

Barkley was much better, Nash was also league MVP, and Paul is the best player on the team right now.

I would also put him a good distance behind Westphal and KJ.
Same.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

I'm better than Mulli!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
59,876
Reaction score
51,173
Location
SoCal
Tough question. It’s definetley the deepest, but it lacks the top tier star like Barkley.

basically, I think it comes down to how they do in the playoffs.
I dunno if this team is deeper than that suns team. More well-rounded I think.

Paul/payne———————-Kj/frank
Booker/shamet—————-Majerle/ainge
Bridges/cam——————Dumas/ceballos
Crowder/stix—————Barkley/Chambers
Ayton/mcgee/biyombo—-west/Miller

Shamet is the weak point with this years squad. Frank and the centers were weak point of ‘93 squad. So this years squad is likely overall more talented, but Barkley being the most talented of all the players may have evened that out. Very close squads talent-wise.
 

Dr. Jones

Has No Time For Love
Joined
Nov 2, 2004
Posts
24,795
Reaction score
13,532
I still take 93 personally. This team doesnt have a Barkley. Book and CP3 at their best aren’t Giannis, KD, or the like. Barkley was every bit the equal of that echelon of player. And KJ was ungodly back then Also.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
19,562
Reaction score
10,282
This team is a lot better defensively than the team in 93. I also feel like this team shoots free throws far better, I vaguely remember that team costing themselves a lot of points at the line.

I think we had more talent in 94 than in 93 but that 94 team was snake bit by injury... the 95 team as well. Cedric Ceballos averaged 19 a game for that team in 94 and he was their... 5th best guy?

But I do think this team is the most well rounded, they can win in so many ways, they're deep and they are elite on both ends.
 

Cheesebeef

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Posts
88,096
Reaction score
60,380
This team is 2004 Pistons-esque. A consummate TEAM without any MVP level superstar to ride.

That means come playoff time, they will all need to be firing on all cylinders. I think they can do it, but time will tell.

Only thing I know for sure is I love watching them play. Last two seasons have been a joy. Wasn’t even mad when we lost the Finals. Haven’t really been “mad” or steaming about any loss the last two years. Maybe I’ve aged out of that feeling or just grateful for this level of ball with much more worrisome things going on personally and in the world right now... and prob because I never thought we’d reach this place ever again with Sarver.

I’m just enjoying the ride.
 

SirStefan32

Krycek, Alex Krycek
Joined
Oct 15, 2002
Posts
18,435
Reaction score
4,714
Location
Harrisburg, PA
They are definitely the best defensive Suns team I have ever seen. They also appear to be deeper than any other Suns team I can remember. They definitely don't have that "MVP" player that Barkley and Nash teams had, but I really think that their depth makes up for that.
 

GatorAZ

feed hopkins
Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Posts
24,247
Reaction score
16,391
Location
The Giant Toaster
Shoutout to a healthy 95’ team. Danny Manning and Wayman Tisdale were top-2 players on their team in 94’ and came to Phoenix as bench guys. They also added a rookie Wes Person. Barkley, KJ and Manning missed a combined 90 something games and they choked vs Houston.
 

Cheesebeef

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Posts
88,096
Reaction score
60,380
Shoutout to a healthy 95’ team. Danny Manning and Wayman Tisdale were top-2 players on their team in 94’ and came to Phoenix as bench guys. They also added a rookie Wes Person. Barkley, KJ and Manning missed a combined 90 something games and they choked vs Houston.
If Manning stays healthy, they would have run roughshod over everyone. 36-10 when Joe Klein destroyed our season.
 

JCSunsfan

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 24, 2002
Posts
21,754
Reaction score
6,138
Four games ahead in the loss column against Golden State. 8 games ahead in the loss column against everyone else. IOW, our lead in the loss column for all but GS is nearly as high as the total number of losses our team has so far on the season. We might not even lose 8 more games this year. Everyone but GS would have to win nearly every game from here on out to catch us--barring some sort of major melt down for the Suns.

And our best starting five has played together only 23 or so games so far.

And our two best players are only playing 33 and 32 minutes a game.
 
Last edited:

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
11,761
Reaction score
9,352
I dunno if this team is deeper than that suns team. More well-rounded I think.

Paul/payne———————-Kj/frank
Booker/shamet—————-Majerle/ainge
Bridges/cam——————Dumas/ceballos
Crowder/stix—————Barkley/Chambers
Ayton/mcgee/biyombo—-west/Miller

Shamet is the weak point with this years squad. Frank and the centers were weak point of ‘93 squad. So this years squad is likely overall more talented, but Barkley being the most talented of all the players may have evened that out. Very close squads talent-wise.
Payne way better than Frank, Paul a little better than KJ
Booker way better than Majerle, Ainge better than shamet
Bridges/Cam - Dumas/Ceballos is about a push, but I give a slight edge to Bridges and Cam
Barkley way better than Crowder, Chambers by 93 is about a push with stix
Ayton way better than west, Mcgee better than Miller, and Biyombo also a big bonus.

This team clearly seems deeper to me, as Ainge is the only backup superior to our current backups

Barkley's huge advantage over Crowder is what evens the teams out, but after writing this all out I am now leaning towards this team being slightly better.
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
11,761
Reaction score
9,352
Shoutout to a healthy 95’ team. Danny Manning and Wayman Tisdale were top-2 players on their team in 94’ and came to Phoenix as bench guys. They also added a rookie Wes Person. Barkley, KJ and Manning missed a combined 90 something games and they choked vs Houston.
Good point that is actually probably our best team before this current one.
 

JCSunsfan

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 24, 2002
Posts
21,754
Reaction score
6,138
Payne way better than Frank, Paul a little better than KJ
Booker way better than Majerle, Ainge better than shamet
Bridges/Cam - Dumas/Ceballos is about a push, but I give a slight edge to Bridges and Cam
Barkley way better than Crowder, Chambers by 93 is about a push with stix
Ayton way better than west, Mcgee better than Miller, and Biyombo also a big bonus.

This team clearly seems deeper to me, as Ainge is the only backup superior to our current backups

Barkley's huge advantage over Crowder is what evens the teams out, but after writing this all out I am now leaning towards this team being slightly better.
This is a great comparison. My only disagreement with this would be the McGee better than Miller argument. I would call them more of a push -- and Chambers vs. Stix. Chambers was never worse than Stix. Chambers might be better than Stix right now.
 

Chris_Sanders

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2002
Posts
37,577
Reaction score
26,233
Location
Scottsdale, Az
The Suns team with Danny Manning in 94 should have won it all.

KJ and Socks
Marjele and Ainge
Manning Wesley Person
Barkley, AC Green, and Tisdale
Kleine and Schayes

Dumas 12th man
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
534,765
Posts
5,246,054
Members
6,273
Latest member
sarahmoose
Top