The Suns’ future push into playoff contention won’t come easily. Of this year’s eight Western Conference playoff teams, seven made it last season. As General Manager Ryan McDonough put it, crashing the parting will be a “daunting” task.
Something he pointed out: The West’s top four teams – Golden State, San Antonio, Houston and the Clippers – all have Hall of Fame-caliber players in their prime. Golden State has Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Houston has James Harden. San Antonio has Kawhi Leonard, while the Clippers feature Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
“To get to that level, not only to just make the playoffs but to have a chance to win in the playoffs, that’s what you need," McDonough said.