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Exit Survey: 3 offseason goals for the Phoenix Suns

By Luke Duffy

Chris PaulMikal Bridges #25, Devin Booker #1 and Cameron Johnson #23 during the first half of Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Footprint Center on May 15, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 123-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Chris PaulMikal Bridges #25, Devin Booker #1 and Cameron Johnson #23 during the first half of Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Footprint Center on May 15, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 123-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Phoenix Suns
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – APRIL 24: Deandre Ayton #22 and Head coach Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns react during Game Four of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on April 24, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

No matter what way you look at it, the 2021-22 season will forever go down as a bitterly disappointing one for the Phoenix Suns. After making the NBA Finals last year, they followed that up with a 64-18 regular season, blowing teams away with a methodical brand of basketball that had everybody playing their role perfectly.

Devin Booker was a superstar. Chris Paul looked like he had defeated Father Time. Mikal Bridges finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Even guys like Bismack Biyombo, a stop away from being out of the league altogether, suddenly looked deadly when paired with Paul and put into a Suns system that looked like it would grind everybody else up.

Then Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks came along in the second round of the postseason, and the Suns found themselves at home sooner than planned.

Exit Survey: 3 offseason questions for the Phoenix Suns

The fact that the Suns were 2-0 up in the series makes the collapse even worse, although they apparently have a valid excuse. Doncic is an incredible player, a future MVP most likely, but his supporting cast wasn’t all that scary. Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie were probably their next two best players, and alongside the hot shooting of Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith, that was enough to defeat the menacing Suns.

So… what now? The Suns have been on vacation for nearly a month and have had plenty of time to digest what went wrong. Their attention has surely already turned to next season and another chance to win it all. One look at Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and how he has ascended should tell them it is possible if Booker leads them. Unfortunately for them, though, it won’t be that easy. Here are three areas to address this summer.

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