With 41 wins and 29 losses, the Phoenix Suns are tied with the Mavs at the sixth spot in the West. Now with 12 games remaining, they have a shot at the automatic qualification for the first round, avoiding the play-in tournament. Teetering at the edges of the first-round qualification doesn’t exactly scream a contender. However, the team must fancy its chances of a title run considering the powerful trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.
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In that wake, Tracy McGrady gave the Suns a surefire formula of success during the Playoffs. On his Instagram, the former high-scoring guard asked the Suns to take some pages out of the Golden State Warriors’ offensive playbook. While picking his favorites for the 2024 NBA title, he opined that the Suns can win it all if they acquire a Warriors-like fluidity in their offensive schemes.
“I look at Phoenix. To me, they should be the favorites cause you got KD. Bradley Beal has scored 60. Booker has scored 60 and 70. Three guys that are unbelievable. If you put KD and Booker with the gym with Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, they are on that level of shooting.”
TMac then mentioned what makes Warriors so good. Talking about the system where the players are constantly moving, he said,
“Steph, I don’t how many miles he runs a game. Klay Thompson’s the same way. That’s why they are so tough to defend. And how crazy it’d be to guard them if they got type of movement? Championship. Championship.”
It is not surprising that McGrady rates the Suns so highly and gives them a chance at winning the title. The Guard is rating the team based on potential based on offensive prowess. He has hailed Kevin Durant as the most difficult cover in one-on-one situations after all.
For T-Mac, there is no stopping Kevin Durant
Last year, during an interview with dunk, T-Mac was asked about the best forward during 1v1 situations. T-Mac didn’t hesitate to take Durant’s name. His central argument revolved around the “7-foot” forward’s ability to get to his spots in fewer dribbles compared to other Forwards. Considering the height at which he shoots and how quickly he is able to navigate the defense, as per McGrady, there is no stopping the efficient Durant. For the former NBA Superstar scorer, KD’s ability to pick his spots is similar to his own fiery style.
“I don’t think nobody is better than KD. His shooting ability [at]7’0 foot. KD reminds me of myself, being able to get to his spots in 3-4 dribbles. In terms of how he gets to his spots, KD doesn’t need 10 dribbles to get his rhythm and rise up. KD needs about 3 to 4 dribbles and he is in a spot. He goes where he wanna go in less dribbles and he is efficient,” McGrady told dunk
Thus, the 7x NBA All-Star rates KD over LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jayson Tatum as the best one-on-one Forward in the league. Considering that the Suns have a top-ten scorer in Devin Booker and a refined guard like Bradley Beal, perhaps McGrady’s stipulation of a title run isn’t far-fetched. However, the loaded West has a lot of tricks up its sleeve.
