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Here is the most ideal team the Suns need to face to secure the first round

Clippers, Spurs, Pelicans, and Timberwolves are the four potential opponents of the Suns to face in the first round. Out of that bunch, some sound scary and some sound easy to beat. Fans have been speculating what the Suns best bet would be to win the first round, but who would it be against?

In today’s article, I will be breaking it down from the team that you do not want to face to the team you want to face. Phoenix can’t be bounced in the first round, so it gets tricky on who they should face. We all know that the team that faces them will bring their absolute best to bring down the almighty ones.

The Timberwolves are a team in which I do not want to mess with, honestly. Same goes with the Clippers, but each team has that one stardom player that has altered the way The Valley views them.

Who is it though? Let’s dive right into it.

Before we jump in, let me say one thing about the Play-In Tournament…

Without a doubt has the Play-In Tournament made things more interesting for fans, but most importantly how it is impacting teams. Seventh to tenth seeded teams have to go into the tournament; again, as I have mentioned before, great for ninth and tenth seeded teams. However, it is a severe disadvantage for seventh and eighth seeded teams. Can we all agree upon that?

But for the Suns, it actually isn’t that bad. In fact, it is actually useful. As a fan, a diehard fan of Phoenix, I can say that there are added benefits to us having this tournament. The benefit is that we don’t have to face that team initially, aka the Clippers. The ClipJoint is currently at that eighth spot, but now to even make it to the main stage they must fight their way through two more games.

That will wear down our opponent greatly, which is always an added bonus – another advantage of being number one. That can give us a competitive-edge, more stamina, maybe a health perspective thrown in there, etc. But, now, there are pros and cons to waiting that long for your opponent and having to go through that tough tournament.

However, even though the Suns could face a team that has gone through the trenches; depending on the team, Phoenix could have trouble written on their hands even with the tournament playing its defining role.

With all that being said, let us jump into this topic now.

Lights, Cameras, Please Not These Teams

The top two teams the Suns shouldn’t face would be the Timberwolves and the Clippers. That is just a brutal matchup either way you look at it. Firstly, we have the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Phoenix Suns played the Los Angeles Clippers last postseason, it was nerve-wracking. Sure we won, sure it was decisive. But it was gritty, gutty, and downright ugly to witness. From Zubac and Beverley trying to get into our heads, which was a nightmare. To Paul George going all PG13 on us, to even key players stepping up. Most mentionable would be Reggie Jackson and Terance Mann. Both showed their true talents that pushed them deep in the postseason.

The Clippers are an unsettling team to face that has much history with The Valley; last postseason was very troubling and very interesting, to say the least. Honestly, I would not want to face the Clippers. Why? Because they have grown in their chemistry, their recent games have shown they have grown stronger for the postseason, and they have gathered much more momentum heading into the postseason.

Also, injuries should not be a factor for them. Despite Kawhi Leonard, everyone else should be there. From three-point shooters (like Luke Kennard) to paint bullies (like Zubac), we have much to compete with. That isn’t including the works of Morris and the rest of that crew that is the second and potentially third unit of that team.

Ty Lue has done a considerable job of taking the Clippers to new heights and to a new wave length of dominance. Under him, L.A. has been overcome by the Clippers – dethroning the pathetic LakeShow, who got booted from playoff contention by the Suns.

The Clippers are taking physicality and mental mind-games to a whole new level, and that level is going to expand if they battle The Valley. So, personally, I am not too thrilled to face them. In fact, we are 2-2 when facing them this season. Both of our losses have come on the road to them, that is a huge factor when considering that they grow stronger every time they are at home. Something to consider.

Our second team that the Suns should not face would be the…

Timberwolves. Yep, Minnesota terrifies me. Their record may or may not impress you, but the pieces they have is truly horrifying. Anthony Edwards, D’Angelo Russell, Patrick Beverley, Karl-Anthony Towns, Taurean Prince, and even Malik Beasley are very good together on the court. They may not have the most impressive depth, or at least the most terrifying bench. But that is one team that will fight like you can’t believe it.

The Big of Minnesota is completely Earth-shattering, how so? Well… they have gelled this season, each player is redefining their given role, and have been such a cohesive unit with not much tension within their systems. They are like a mini-Sun in terms of how well they play together, their egos, chemistry, etc.

Let me say this, despite having a 3-0 record against them this season. DO. NOT. TAKE. THAT. LIGHTLY. I am begging you as the playoffs just brings a different animal out of your team, or your opponent. A different beast begins to manifest, a beast you cannot stop and it becomes truly horrifying to witness – let alone to play against.

Again, personally, I am not hoping for this matchup. This matchup will be tough, I would love to see this matchup in the playoffs; but this is just too tough of a competitor that could kill a team like Phoenix if things took a nasty turn. Do I think the Suns can beat them? Yes. But it will drain so much out of them that it won’t end in four, five, it could go all seven games.

I rather face the Clippers than the Timberwolves, that is how much I fear the ‘Wolves. I am just being real with you all.

They will take you around that entire court, play solid defense, have incredible transitions, have defensive breakdowns on your offense, and many more deadly things that they do. Shooting is a pro’s skill for them, same with passing and rebounding. Both teams have exceptional fundamental skills, but I do not want to see who wins that battle – especially if it isn’t the Suns. I would be shocked, by why take that chance when it doesn’t have to be that way?

I’d rather face the Timberwolves in the regular season but not in the postseason.

The number one team that the Suns should face

Without hesitation I am choosing the Spurs to be the team I want the Suns to face. Why? Because Pop’s team isn’t that impressive. The most solid player they have is Dejounte Murray, but besides that, I can’t think of anyone else.

Other decent players would be Josh Richardson, Jakob Poeltl, and Lonnie Walker. But do not forget about Keldon Johnson, which is not a decent player. He is a little higher on the scale of ranks, he is above decent. Averaging 16 points per game in his third season; plus he is having a career-high season in all categories besides the ones that involve shooting the ball percentage-wise.

The two players you gotta worry about, or be alert about, would be Murray and Johnson. Those two have been very high on guys to watch out for; but because they play for a sorry team like the Spurs, they do not get any national recognition.

The only thing about the Spurs is that they were made to be in the Play-In, but not the actual postseason. But why? Mainly when considering all the factors, like what? For staters, they do not have any depth. They are lacking what the Suns have, which is great depth. No one stands out in the grand scheme of things depth-wise, just being honest.

Suns have way more potential and actual stars than San Antonio, is that even within question? We have guys in the race for awards, for example: Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges. Plus, at this time in their coaching period, Monty Williams is so much better than Gregg Popovich. Results matter, especially when a coach doesn’t have elite players guiding him his entire career. One’s carried and one’s earned.

The factors continue and continue, but I’ll stop here as we get the main point. When you have firepower, coaching power, chemistry such as the Suns; it is just a losing battle.

How about the Pelicans, should the Suns face them?

Depends on the starting lineup and what factors are going into this team. Willie Green is going to be a good coach in this league, he truly is. He has been turning around this franchise. It has only been getting better since trading for CJ McCollum. The record may not show it, but Green and his team have been giving the Suns a run for their money. They actually beat the Suns earlier this year.

This is such a tough question to answer as it can go either way, it wouldn’t be decisive unless something major happened that allowed the Suns to skyrocket to the top early. But they would be a better team to face than the Timberwolves, they are the same as the Clippers on who to face. But I would rather face the easier team, Spurs, than the Pelicans.

They aren’t equally matched in terms of roster, talent, things along those lines. But ever since acquiring McCollum, they have soared to new heights. That is great for this season as this could open new doors for New Orleans.

This matchup is up in the air, personally, I will need to think on this some more. But, in the end, the Suns can beat them like they can beat Minnesota, L.A., and anyone else thrown in their way.

Conclusion

I cannot stress enough to how important it truly is for the Suns to get the right team; but, to be honest, it never works out to be the way that we dream it to be. But if I could make it the way I want, I would put the Spurs against the Suns.

These final days before the tournament will be interesting to watch as I am excited to watch the tournament and get this postseason kicked off.

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