Say it again… Beat LA
Starting Sunday, the Suns will be playing in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010.
11 years ago.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Just getting to this point is absolutely amazing after all the pain we’d become used to as Suns fans over the last decade. However, now that we’re here, let’s keep going in this all new, exciting direction!
When the news of Chris Paul potentially having to miss time was thrown at us, it was quite the blow to our happiness. However, this isn’t over. Our team is further than it’s been in a long time and it’s not going to allow this to be over.
Will it suck when CP3 can’t suit up for Game 1? Absolutely. But the Suns were built for this. They have options. They’re deep. They’re hungry.
“I think guys are always ready to play, especially in these moments,” Williams said. “Obviously, Chris Paul is not someone that you fill in for easily but… our guys are ready for the challenge. Everybody’s dealing with it…So, we don’t feel like we’re the only ones dealing with a situation when it comes to health and trying to stay healthy. It’s what you prepare for as a staff and as a team. We feel like our guys are ready for whatever presents itself.”
Remember how much Cam Payne helped when our Point God was limited in the first round against the other LA team?
He stepped up big time and helped the Suns “Beat LA” and he will be ready to give it all he has again as Phoenix looks for that same result against the city’s other team.
Then you have the team’s defense.
Mikal Bridges defended LeBron James fairly well in that first Phoenix-LA series and he will be looking to do that again in this one.
As a team, the Suns currently rank second in defensive rating (104.7) in the playoffs.
Led by Deandre Ayton who played extremely well in a very difficult matchup against Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond in that first Phoenix-LA series, the Suns’ D has created 20.4 points per game on offense throughout these playoffs
Don’t forget about Jae Crowder.
“We just came into the postseason and just tightened up our screws a little bit,” Crowder said. “The stuff that we’ve been doing all year long, we just want to do it at a higher level, and I just think the playoffs brought that out of us. We’ve been put to the test with some challenges, but we’ve overcome…We’ve got to continue to do that to get to where we want to be.”
This team has a great chance any time they step on the floor and they need to keep believing, using that great team chemistry and remaining confident in the foundation built by Coach Monty and GM James Jones.
It’s time for the Suns to go out there and do what we will all be chanting again… “Beat LA”.