Entire Suns Starting Lineup Cracks The Ringer's Top 100 Rankings
The Phoenix Suns are currently in the midst of a slump, thanks to a variety of reasons.
Inability to defend ranking fairly high on that list, but also the absence of players such as Chris Paul (who has returned for a few games but missed a month), Cam Johnson and recently Devin Booker has placed the Suns in a fairly dark place given their recent success.
Phoenix will surely find their way again once all pieces to the puzzle are back in place.
How valuable are those individual pieces? All five presumed starters for the Suns made The Ringer's Top 100 Player Rankings list.
Five Suns Make The Ringer's Top 100 Rankings
No. 11: Devin Booker
"The worst one could say of Booker is that he’s very good at almost everything, but not quite as exceptional at getting to the rim or drawing fouls compared to the ultra-elite company he now keeps. This is a high performer being measured against the loftiest possible standard. Considering how the arc of his career has gone to this point, it may be only a matter of time before Booker closes the gap.-Rob Mahoney"
No. 44: Mikal Bridges
"It’d be interesting to watch him grow in another situation where he had the ball in his hands, learning pick-and-roll reads on the fly and diversifying his skill set, like Paul George or Jayson Tatum did. But that developmental path wasn’t in the cards, which is fine. Every team needs what Bridges provides. He’s a star in his own role. —Michael Pina"
No. 50: Chris Paul
"An all-time-great point guard might have to make his peace with doing less. There’s still plenty of room for one of the sport’s most cerebral players to manage the game around him, maneuvering his Suns teammates into the best possible positions and hammering the exact actions necessary to dominate a particular matchup. Paul—despite his detail-obsessed, micromanaging style—just might not have as much direct influence on the way those plays evolve, or the forms the offense ultimately takes. —Rob Mahoney"
No. 56: Deandre Ayton
"If Ayton stunk, I think we’d lay off, but he’s got tools that 99 percent of big guys would die to have. He’s nimble and balanced for someone his size: I recall a play against the Warriors this season when he went to make a spin move and Andrew Wiggins instantly pulled the chair on him, causing him to stumble. But Ayton controlled his dribble as he went to the floor, spun as he regained his balance, and kicked the ball out to Mikal Bridges, who drove to the basket and scored. Ayton has impressively supple hands around the rim (some of the softest in the league), and his post repertoire is more than adequate. We stay mimicking the Kylo Ren “more!” meme because we think he can give it. —J. Kyle Mann"
No. 92: Cam Johnson
"Johnson is precisely what every good team in the NBA is searching for: an accurate 3-point shooter who guards multiple positions and makes plays off the dribble. And even though he’s already 26 years old and in just his fourth season, his game isn’t static. Whoever pays him his next contact—the Suns failed to extend him during the offseason—will get someone who’s better than they are today. —Michael Pina"
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