Suns Sweep Clippers in First-Round Predictions

The Phoenix Suns hope to make good on their potential this postseason, and tough sledding through the West first begins with a first-round test against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Suns are nearly at full strength, as just Cameron Payne appears to be on the injury report heading into Game 1. Phoenix is back to their usual starting lineup that includes Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton - all of which didn't play the final two games of the regular season.

Los Angeles is still without Paul George after injuring his knee back on March 21, and the prospects of him returning in this series are grim.

The Suns seem to be heavy favorites to advance to the second round. Here's our staff picks:

Suns-Clippers First-Round Series Predictions

Donnie Druin: Suns in 5

The Suns are locked, loaded and most importantly: Healthy. The starters were rested the last two games of the regular season in order to ensure all systems were a go heading into the first round of play. Even if Los Angeles was fully healthy, the Suns would still be heavy favorites. The absence of Paul George even further pins Phoenix as favorites to make quick work of LAC.

Everett Williams: Suns in 6

The Suns and clippers both enter this playoff series with experience. Both rosters boast players who have made deep playoff runs before, some with prior teams. While the Suns are deservingly favored and hold home court advantage, the clippers have notoriously been a strong road team this season (21-20). It would not be surprising to see Kawhi Leonard and company take a game in Phoenix and maybe one in LA to make this interesting.

Spencer Cihak: Suns in 4

The Clippers will be a unique challenge for the Suns but one they have time and time again have been able to take care of since the 2020 bubble. Without Paul George early in the series the Suns have a real chance to make a statement early on. While this may not be the series to consider this it is of note that at *some point* seeing how the Kevin Durant-led Suns respond to a loss will be crucial to what they are hoping is a deep playoff run.

Kevin Hicks: Suns in 5

The Suns and Clippers are vastly different teams compared to when the teams met in the 2021 Western Conference Finals. This change favors the Suns, with possibly the best duo in the NBA, underrated depth, and Monty Williams doing a better coaching job than Ty Lue this season. The expected absence of Paul George takes away much of the intrigue this series could bring, but Kawhi Leonard is still good enough to steal a game from Phoenix. Hard to envision any more than that.

Remy Mastey: Suns in 6

This series will be a battle between superstars. While the Suns have Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on one end, the Clippers have Kawhi Leonard, a proven NBA champion. Without Paul George for at least the beginning of this series Phoenix should be able to take advantage and take the series. However, the Suns have only played eight total games with Durant in the lineup so the lack of chemistry could play a factor in determining some of these games. Also, Leonard is fully capable of taking over and stealing away a game or two.