Suns' 2021-22 Squad One of Best to Not Win NBA Finals

There's been some awfully good teams in the NBA who haven't won the Finals, though the 2021-22 squad that one 64 games is considered one of the best.

The Phoenix Suns have fielded some awfully strong teams in the last three years. 

Last season, the Suns made a massive move to acquire Kevin Durant at the trade deadline. The year prior (2021-22) saw the Suns win an impressive 64 games in the regular season (a franchise record) just one season after heading to the 2021 NBA Finals. 

There's hope the new rendition of Suns basketball can be impactful with a re-worked roster - but fans will always hold a special place in their heart for recent teams of the past. 

Where do those teams rank among the "best to never win" category?

Bleacher Report says the 2021-22 is No. 3 on their list of recent losers:

Suns' 2021-22 Squad One of Best to Not Win NBA Finals

"During the Phoenix Suns' last full season before their depth was gutted for the KD trade, they were plus-11.0 points per 100 possessions when Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges were all on the floor," wrote author Andy Bailey. 

"One year after losing to Giannis and the Bucks in the 2021 Finals, that trio (plus Cameron Johnson, Deandre Ayton and a handful of solid role players) looked determined to exact its revenge on the entire NBA.

"Booker, specifically, had what was almost certainly the best two-way campaign of his career to that point. He put up 26.8 points, 4.8 assists, 2.7 threes and 1.1 steals, while shooting a career-high 38.3 percent from deep on the way to a First Team All-NBA nod.

"But the lasting image from this campaign for both Phoenix and its star is probably Luka Dončić wryly smiling up at a stone-faced Booker during Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

"After cruising to 60-plus wins in the regular season and going up 3-2 on Luka's Dallas Mavericks, the Suns were absolutely punked by the Slovenian playmaker and his teammates.

"Phoenix lost Game 6 in Dallas by 27 points, and then dropped Game 7 at home by 33. Over the entire series, Dončić averaged 32.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in an complete domination of Booker."

Phoenix's 2021-22 squad fell just behind the 2020-21 Utah Jazz and the 2018-19 Milwaukee Bucks in the rankings. 

2019-20 Milwaukee Bucks (4) and 2022-23 Boston Celtics (5) round out the top five after Phoenix.