Inside The Suns

Who is Most Clutch Suns Player of All Time?

Who is the all-time Suns player that has proven the most in clutch time?
Kevin Hicks|
Unknown date 1996; Phoenix, AZ, USA; FILE PHOTO; Phoenix Suns forward Charles Barkley (34) is defended by Seattle Supersonics forward Detlef Schrempf (11) at America West Arena. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images
Unknown date 1996; Phoenix, AZ, USA; FILE PHOTO; Phoenix Suns forward Charles Barkley (34) is defended by Seattle Supersonics forward Detlef Schrempf (11) at America West Arena. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

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Phoenix Suns

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are just under three weeks away from opening training camp - as media day is officially set for September 30.

With the game action just weeks away, the Suns' social media team has continued to put out fascinating questions surrounding the history of the franchise - the one yesterday was no different.

This comes down to who is ultimately seen as the most clutch player in the history of the franchise - and there is several worthy contenders in the scope of this debate.

The five names in contention - and the case for each one.

Devin Booker

Booker has been at the forefront of "clutch" debates since the early days of his career, and is among the current active leaders when it comes to game-winning shots at the buzzer.

Among Booker's most outwardly clutch performances is the iconic shot over Los Angeles Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to get a key victory in the 2020 NBA bubble.

The shot to defeat the Clippers was almost certainly the most vital one of the last decade for Phoenix - as it spearheaded an eventual 8-0 bubble run that was enough to convince Chris Paul to come to Phoenix and was directly correlated with the first Finals appearance in nearly three decades.

It is very likely that neither Paul nor the next name on the list would have considered Phoenix without that bubble run - and that was the biggest moment of the eight-game run with ease.

Booker certainly has a strong case to be the most clutch Sun of all time.

Kevin Durant

Most of Durant's work in the clutch was prior to his time as a Suns player, including the iconic game 3 shot in the 2017 Finals to put the Cleveland Cavaliers on ice.

Despite the criticism and moments of not showing up in the clutch, Durant still remains one of the more celebrated players in that sphere.

He showed just what groups him into the elite clutch players when he hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer in a January game against the Chicago Bulls last season.

Durant is also in the same boat as Booker - among the highest totals of game-winning shots at the buzzer for active players.

Steve Nash

Nash's reputation as a clutch player gets overlooked far too often - and that likely has to do with his lack of rings to show for it.

Contrary to popular belief, Nash has one of the highest offensive peaks in league history - and became an explosive scorer when called upon to be.

The most blatant example of Nash showing up when necessary was the 2005 Western Conference Semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks - where he scored 121 points in a three-game span to lead Phoenix to a WCF appearance for the first time since 1993.

Nash was an all-time player in nearly every facet - unfortunately his peers were Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki.

Charles Barkley

Barkley has numerous iconic moments as a member of the Suns - none more than the pull-up jump shot over David Robinson to win the series over the San Antonio Spurs - which in turn lead to the second NBA Finals berth in franchise history.

Barkley also pushed Michael Jordan to the brink of a blemish on his 6-0 Finals record - as a John Paxson shot prevented a true best-in-the-world dialogue and a decisive game 7 in the 1993 series.

Barkley is under-appreciated in the scope of the history of the NBA - he should certainly be remembered as one of the best of the generation in a multitude of areas - with clutch gene being one of those.

Chris Paul

Paul's clutch moments in Phoenix were quite outward - as he was the catalyst behind the Suns being historically great in the clutch in the 2021-22 season, while efforts such as the 41-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers in game 6 of the 2021 Western Conference Finals to send the Suns to the NBA Finals certainly boost his case as well.

Paul wasn't in Phoenix for long, but the impact he made, namely in the clutch, should be recognized beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Verdict: Durant

Durant has been with the Suns for the shortest time and has had the least overall clutch moments with the Suns, but his blend of size, versatile shot-making, and overall track record as a generational scorer give him the edge over a very esteemed field.

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Kevin Hicks
KEVIN HICKS

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