Biggest threats to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference: 3. Phoenix Suns
Key additions: Torrey Craig
The Phoenix Suns brought in Torrey Craig shortly before the NBA trade deadline and he is far from a big addition to the team. He is the only addition the team made though, so he gets referenced here in this article.
The Phoenix Suns are more of a threat to the Los Angeles Lakers than the Utah Jazz and I still do not think the Suns would have much of a chance against a fully-healthy Lakers team. As we have already stated, that is not a guarantee and the Suns could defeat the Lakers if one of Anthony Davis and LeBron James is out.
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Chris Paul is exactly the player the Suns needed to add. He may not put them over the top as a title-winning team but establishing a winning culture in Phoenix and getting the young players playoff experience is extremely beneficial.
This is going to be huge for Devin Booker and suddenly, Phoenix might become a destination for a future all-star, not a team that nobody wants to play for.
The Suns’ defense is going to keep them in every single game but the Lakers have good defense as well and I do not think that Phoenix has the offensive firepower to keep up with LA. If Devin Booker goes nuclear that is one thing, but that is a rather large if.