Even when projected over 36 minutes, His 11.1 points and 10.8 rebounds aren't too impressive considering his 41.5 shooting percentage. Certain names created legacies that are beloved and respected by the entire Suns fan base. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defensive team, 1969 Finals MVP, 1972 All-Star MVP, 1969-70 scoring champ, 1971-72 assists champ, 1972 NBA champion. Dig in below for a deep dive on the best 75 of all time. Our experts predict every series, 2023 NBA playoffs: Second-round series, Finals, MVP odds, 'He looks better than ever': Why the Orlando bubble was 'just the beginning' for Jamal Murray, Pregame chats, language arts and 'a lot of fines': Inside NBA player-ref dynamics, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Accomplishments: 12-time NBA All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, two-time NBA All-Defensive team, three-time NBA MVP, 1983 Finals MVP, six-time NBA rebounding It's only fitting that "The Matrix" spent the prime of his career with the Suns. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1995 NBA champion. Two of the greatest Suns players ever are Steve Nash and Charles Barkley.They are among the greatest players to never win a championship. When it comes to Nashs career numbers with the Suns, he has the most assists (6,997), the second most three-pointers made (1,051), the tenth most steals (511), the eighth most points scored (10,712), and the third most games played (744).After an incredible career with the Mavericks, Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers, Nash was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. Stats: 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG in 19 seasons with Utah Jazz (1985-86 to 2002-03) and Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has held the NBA's all-time scoring record since 1984. Expect big minutes for Marion, Kidd, and Nance to help make up for the defensive deficiencies of their teammates. Phoenix has taken part in some of the most memorable games in NBA history featuring some of the greatest players of all time. Stats: 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG in 13 seasons with New York Knicks (1967-68 to 1976-77) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-78 to 1979-80). The list is endless, controversial, and versatile, including historical players like Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant. When two or more players were very closeas they often werethe secondary criteria used included peak performance (single outstanding seasons), isolated moments of greatness (such as a series-clinching shot) and terms upon which a player left the team (such as demanding a trade).All stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com. Where he clearly makes his distinction from Johnson is on the defensive end. Accomplishments: Eight-time NBA All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 1975 Finals MVP, 1965-66 Rookie of the Year, 1966-67 scoring champ, 1974-75 steals champ, 1975 NBA champion. Jerry Sloan - All-Time Chicago Bulls. Oftentimes the best players have modest rookie seasons and break out a couple years down the line, whereas superstar-level rookies can struggle to build on or even match their early productivity. Phoenix Suns Career Leaders | Basketball-Reference.com Looking at the current roster, it will take a wild turn of events for that to change before the team celebrates its 50th anniversary.Do not be fooled, however. Personally, I always considered them to be an offensive-minded franchise, but that has not always been the case, as seen in their year-by-year ranks in offensive and defensive rating: Sure, theyve had more years where they were dominant on the offensive side of the ball, but they have had periods where they were able to compete at a high level defensively, as well. 11, as he is the franchise's all-time leader in games, rebounds and steals, while placing in the top five in many other categories. However, the Suns only made the NBA Finals once under Barkley and zero times with Nash. Another member of the 1993 NBA Finals team, Tom Chambers is the tenth-best Suns player of all time.Chambers first played for the San Diego Clippers and the Seattle SuperSonics before joining the Suns in 1988.In five seasons with the team (1988-1993), Chambers made three All-Star teams (1989-1991) and two All-NBA teams (1989, 1990), along with helping the team make the aforementioned Finals in 1993, where they lost to the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan.. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, 1966-67 Rookie of the Year, 1976 All-Star MVP, 1967-68 scoring champ. NBA players That, along with his absurd numbers, place him in the conversation for best offensive PG of all-time. He was also known as a clutch shooter, and the 48.3 percent he shot from deep during his three postseason trips with the Suns is evidence of such. All-Time Toronto Raptors NBA Phoenix has showcased some of the best players of their era, along with names that were more loved as a role player. Tom Chambers was another offensively talented big man, and Alvan Adams, one of the great passing centers ever, rounds out the bench. Who Is Better: Lebron James Or Wilt Chamberlain? The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over In relatively limited time with the team compared to most on this list, Chambers made the eighth most free throws (1,944), grabbed the ninth most defensive rebounds (1,941), had the ninth highest free throw percentage (84.4%), and averaged the seventh most points per game (20.6) in Suns history. In his four healthy seasons (after his rookie year), Stoudemire averaged 23.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks with a 57.0 FG percentage, 25.0 PER and an astounding 51.1 win shares. During his first 10 seasons with the Suns, the PG averaged 19.8 points, 10.0 assists and 1.6 steals on 49.7 percent FG shooting and 83.9 percent FT shooting. During that time, he also was named to the All-NBA team, was named the 1993 MVP, and had the third-highest game score average in team history. Though he wasnt the athletic marvel that he was in Philadelphia, he was still one of the best players in the league on the Suns, and provides them with a dominant low-post scorer. The Phoenix Suns trusted Kevin Johnson to be one of the most important figures in franchise history. Stats: 23.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.8 APG in seven seasons with Minneapolis Lakers (1948-49 to 1955-56). Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time - Nos. 10-1 - ESPN The Suns ended up with four former players on the all-time list in O'Neal, Barkley (21st), Jason Kidd (33rd), Steve Nash (37th) and one current one in Chris Paul (38th). The All-Time Phoenix Suns team is exactly what youd expect them to be. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, four-time All-Defensive team, two-time MVP, two-time All-Star MVP. Stats: 21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.8 APG in 16 season with San Diego/Houston Rockets (1968-69 to 1971-72; 1981-82 to 1983-84) and Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1972-73 to 1980-81) . Barkley's regular season numbers23.4 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.6 SPG on 50.1 percent shootingare those of a hard-working, efficient, physically dominant, unselfish player. Stats: 23.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 8.5 APG in 13 seasons with Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-09 to 2018-19), Houston Rockets (2019-20) and Washington Wizards (2020-21)*. Stats: 18.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 7.4 APG in 13 seasons with Cincinnati Royals/KC-Omaha/Kansas City Kings (1970-71 to 1975-76), New York Nets (1976-77), Boston Celtics (1978-79 to 1982-83) and Milwaukee Bucks (1983-84). The Phoenix Suns franchise changed when Steve Nash joined in free agency after a great Dallas Mavericks stint. Who Are the Best Phoenix Suns Basketball Players of All Time? Stats: 20.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.6 APG in 15 seasons with Portland Trail Blazers (1983-84 to 1994-95) and Houston Rockets (1994-95 to 1997-98). 25 25. There are no specific criteria for calling one the greatest. Time will see these numbers go up, but Booker currently has three All-Star appearances and one all-NBA selection. "only" comes in at No. Stats: 24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.5 APG in 15 seasons with Atlanta Hawks (1982-83 to 1993-94), LA Clippers (1993-94), Boston Celtics (1994-95), San Antonio Spurs (1996-97) and Orlando Magic (1998-99). The Suns possess one of the richer histories of talent in the NBA. Another great player on the early 2000s Suns teams was power forward Shawn Marion.Yet another ninth overall pick in the draft, the Suns took Marion with that pick in the 1999 edition.His first nine seasons in the league came with the Suns (1999-2008), and he was named to the All-Rookie Second team after his first season.Moreover, he made four All-Star teams (2003, 2005-2007) and two All-NBA teams (2005, 2006) during his time there. 1 as one might think. Stats: 7.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG in 14 seasons with Detroit Pistons (1986-87 to 1992-93), San Antonio Spurs (1993-94 to 1994-95), Chicago Bulls (1995-96 to 1997-98), Los Angeles Lakers (1998-99) and Dallas Mavericks (1999-2000). NBA Players Stats: 17.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.0 APG in 12 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1982-83 to 1993-94). The Phoenix Suns are one of the NBA teams still searching for their first NBA Championship victory. Stats: 22.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG in 16 seasons with Miami Heat (2003-04 to 2015-16; 2017-18 to 2018-19), Chicago Bulls (2016-17) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-18). Stats: 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG in 16 seasons with Philadelphia 76ers (1984-85 to 1991-92), Phoenix Suns (1992-93 to 1995-96) and Houston Rockets (1996-97 to 1999-00). Both won league MVP awards (Nash won it in back-to-back years in 2005 and 2006) and carried Phoenix deep into the playoffs. Both first seasons for Paul featured All-Star and all-NBA appearances continuing his legendary run as a point guard. Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG in 13 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1979-80 to 1990-91; 1995-96). All times listed are Eastern. A big issue will be the defensive performance of their starting lineup. The legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was among the NBA's highest scorers and had 38,387 points. Immigration Should Be as Easy for Everyone As It Is for NBA Chambers even managed to receive two all-NBA selections at the peak of his career. Players Phoenix Suns Historical Statistics and All-Time Top 10 Best Players In Toronto Raptors History, Stoudemire was one of the best at his position, scoring 70 points for a shocking career high, Phoenix made a big move acquiring Barkley, 10 Lesser Known Pro Wrestling Terms That Even Casual Fans Should Know About, 10 Wrestlers In AEW Right Now Who Are Most "Over" With Fans, 10 Wrestling Finishers That Have An "Upgraded Version". The All-Time Phoenix Suns team is exactly what youd expect them to be. How Many Championships Does Michael Jordan Have? of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG in 19 seasons with Dallas Mavericks (1994-95 to 1996-97; 2007-08 to 2011-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-97 to 2000-01), New Jersey Nets (2001-02 to 2007-08) and New York Knicks (2012-13). Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, four-time NBA champion. But even while in his 30s, Lucas managed to average 15.4 points and 9.7 rebounds on 48.2 percent shooting. Players like Connie Hawkins, Paul Westphal, and Dennis Johnson are examples from the Suns early years to have achieved that honor. 1 as one might think. Stats: 23.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.3 APG in nine seasons with New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (2012-13 to 2018-19) and Los Angeles Lakers (2019-20 to 2020-21)*. With plenty of time to go in Phoenix most likely, Booker already has made the most three-pointers in team history with 1,089, made the fourth most made free throws with 2,693, dished out the seventh most assists with 2,521, and scored the fourth most points with 12,688.If Booker keeps this pace up, he has a chance to find himself at number one on this list, as well as the Basketball Hall of Fame. Accomplishments: Eight-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, four-time All-Defensive team, 2017 All-Star MVP, three-time blocks champ, 2020 NBA champion. Fans decide in this crowd voted ranking of the best Suns players ever. Stats: 20.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.3 BPG in 19 NBA seasons with Buffalo Braves (1976-77), Houston Rockets (1976-77 to 1981-82), Philadelphia 76ers (1982-83 to 1985-86; 1993-94), Washington Bullets (1986-87 to 1987-88), Atlanta Hawks (1988-89 to 1990-91), Milwaukee Bucks (1991-92 to 1992-93) and San Antonio Spurs (1994-95); also played two ABA seasons with Utah Stars (1974-75) and Spirits of St. Louis (1975-76). RELATED: 10 Best Players In Oklahoma City Thunder History. Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG in 14 seasons with Cincinnati Royals (1960-61 to 1969-70) and Milwaukee Bucks (1970-71 to 1973-74). His numbers don't scream at you (14.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG), but his ability to defend (two All-Defensive teams), slash, space the floor for Jeff Hornacek and Kevin Johnson and provide instant offense off the bench made Majerle a consummate team player and winner. The first star of the Suns, Dick Van Arsdale spent nine years in Phoenix. Stats: 23.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.1 APG in 10 NBA seasons with San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1965-66 to 1966-67; 1972-73 to 1977-78) and Houston Rockets (1978-79 to 1979-80); also played four ABA seasons with Oakland Oaks (1968-69), Washington Capitols (1969-70) and New York Nets (1970-71 to 1971-72). Stats: 15.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.7 APG in 14 seasons with San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1963-64 to 1973-74), Chicago Bulls (1974-75 to 1975-76) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1975-76 to 1976-77). WebPhoenix Suns All-Time Players. Phoenix made the 2021 NBA Finals with Booker as their best overall player. NBA Players Stats: 18.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.1 APG in 15 seasons with Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1949-50 to 1963-64). Ranking the Top 25 Players in Phoenix Suns History Tom Chambers put up ridiculously strong regular season numbersparticularly during his first two years in Phoenix, averaging 26.5 points and 7.7 reboundsbut it was his ability to perform in the playoffs that makes him one of the greatest players in Suns history. Top 25 NBA Players of All Time Paul Westphal, Barkleys former coach, was once quoted as saying, next to Shaq, Charles may have been the worst player in history at defending the pick-and-roll. Stoudemire and Nash were poor defenders as well. Below is All-Time Toronto Raptors' 2K full team roster. Despite only playing four seasons with the team, Barkley still has the seventh most total rebounds with 3,232, the eighth most offensive rebounds with 881, the fifth most defensive rebounds with 2,351, and the fourth most triple doubles with 8.Additionally, his 23.4 points per game average ranks third in team history.After a great career with three different teams, Barkley was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. Imagining AllTime Suns as Football Players - NBA.com Listed below are the ten greatest players in Suns history. Deep. In his 20th NBA season, LeBron nailed a 21-foot shot late against the Oklahoma City Thunder by breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbars record of 38,387 points on February 8, 2023. Phoenix trading away Kidd turned out to be a bad move when Stephon Marbury was a downgrade. 1 / 7 Basketball isn't football. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, 1985-86 Rookie of the Year. Curry leads the Warriors, and ranks fourth among all NBA players (minimum four games), with 31.4 points per game through five playoff contests. Kidd achieved more playoff success with the New Jersey Nets to make that the place fans first think of with his career, but the Suns had some of his best years. * Players in bold played in the 2023 Regular Season, Comments? Accomplishments: 17-time All-Star, 17-time All-NBA, six-time All-Defensive team, four-time MVP, four-time Finals MVP, three-time All-Star MVP, 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, 2007-08 scoring champ, 2019-20 assists champ, four-time NBA champion. What happens when you give Gar Heard more offensive talent and more minutes? LeBron James becomes the NBA's all-time leader in playoff Unfortunately for Scott, his Suns' teams never appeared in the postseason, and it was in fact the Boston Celtics team that he was traded to in 1975 that beat Phoenix in the NBA Finals the very next season. Stats: 13.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.4 APG in 10 seasons with Portland Trail Blazers (1974-75 to 1977-78), San Diego/LA Clippers (1979-80 to 1984-85) and Boston Celtics (1985-86 to 1986-87). Based on tenure, productivity and versatility, that's a good enough resume right there to crack the top 20 of this list. However, even though Hawkins was one of the best PFs in the league, his Suns made only one playoff appearance and his ranking suffers because of it. If youre ever wondering who the all-time leader in points is for Stats: 19.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.5 APG in 19 seasons with Boston Celtics (1998-99 to 2012-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-14), Washington Wizards (2014-15) and LA Clippers (2015-16 to 2016-17). For a fifth straight year, the NBA's Most Valuable Player award will go to someone born outside of the United States. Joey is a writer with a decade of experience writing about sports, entertainment, and pop culture. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, 1963-64 MVP, 1960-61 Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star MVP, six-time assists champ, 1971 NBA champion. Stats: 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG in 16 seasons with Boston Celtics (1962-63 to 1977-78). Westphal played his first three seasons with the Celtics before coming to the Suns in 1975.In his six seasons with the team (1975-1981), Westphal made four All-Star teams and four All-NBA teams in a row from 1977-1980.While it would have been nice to beat his former team in the Finals in his first year with the team, the Suns came up just short against the Celtics in the Finals. That didn't stop Suns.com's Matt Petersen from picking the Suns Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1974-75 MVP, 1972-73 Rookie of the Year, three-time scoring champ, two-time NBA champion. Who are the best Phoenix Suns of all time? In 1996, the Suns took Nash with the fifteenth overall pick in the NBA draft.He played two seasons for them (1996-1998) before leaving for the Dallas Mavericks.He returned in 2004 and played eight more seasons in the desert (2004-2012).It was during this second stint that Nash made his mark in Phoenix. Bob Pettit held the record from 1964 to 1966 and is the first player to eclipse 20,000 career points. The Suns tenure saw all four All-Star appearances and both all-NBA selections coming with the squad before falling off after leaving. His 1.8 SPG aren't bad either, nor are his four All-Star and four All-NBA appearances. Warriors' Draymond Green Says Stephen Curry Has GOAT WebNBA Classic Teams: Players Added to All-Time Teams in NBA 2K22. 18. All The following Phoenix players deserve to be called the best in franchise history. WebOn NBA 2K23, Kawhi Leonard is All-Time Toronto Raptors' highest rated player, followed by Vince Carter in second place, and Chris Bosh in third. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defensive team, 1968-69 scoring champ, two-time rebounding champ, 1978 NBA champion. NBA75: Meet the best players in league history, 'It's going to be epic': Stephen Curry and LeBron James face off -- again, Curry sets G7 record with 50 as Dubs move on, Hobbled Butler serves as 'decoy' late in Heat win, Grizz's Brooks doesn't regret verbal jab at LeBron, 'This one's on me': Brunson self-critical after loss, Jokic on Murray's playoffs: 'We are following him', Rivers: Embiid likely doubtful for G1 vs. Celtics, 'This is probably his best shot': Why the time is now for Harden and the 76ers, Celtics-76ers first look: What could decide the battle of East heavyweights, Tigers coach fumes at Zaire v Dwyane comparisons after loss, Which teams will reach the NBA conference finals? View player profile, bio, stats, news and video highlights. The Suns have a rich tradition, currently ranking fourth among all active franchises in all-time winning percentage, at .551, behind three teams that have combined for 38 championships (the Lakers, Spurs, and Celtics). We know this. Maurice Lucas spent only three seasons with Phoenix and was past his prime during all of them. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, 1971 All-Star MVP, 1969-70 assists champ. NBA Players Some of Johnsons notable numbers include having the third most points scored with 12,747, the second most assists with 6,518, the fourth most steals with 1,022, the most made free throws with 3,851, and the fifth most games played with 683.He also helped the team reach the NBA Finals for the second time in team history in 1993, losing to Michael Jordan and the Bulls.He may not have been a Hall of Famer, but Johnson was a key player on some of the best Suns teams ever.
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