4 NBA Finals contenders nearing the end of their championship window

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Devin Booker (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

NBA contender #2: Phoenix Suns

Last season, the Suns had the best record in the NBA but completely fell apart when they faced the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs. That horrendous performance raised questions about their championship window and Chris Paul’s future in the league.

After all, they came close to winning it all twice in the last two seasons but failed, and Paul is not getting any younger. He will be starting his 18th season soon and will be 38 during the next playoffs. This makes him the biggest question mark on the Suns’ roster because everyone is wondering how much longer he has left to chase a title.

Throughout his career, Paul has been a 12-time All-Star, made several All-NBA teams, and was named to the league’s 75th Anniversary Team. A championship would round out his resume nicely. Paul is still a good player despite nearing 40, but he is starting to decline, which is completely understandable.

The problem with this is that he is the team’s engine, though, and the Suns’ championship window is bound to Chris Paul’s age. Without him, their offense would look very different, and they are running out of time to make it all the way to the top. The Suns did not improve their roster while other teams in the West will be much better than they were last season, which makes the competition even tougher.

The Suns are a talented team, though, and if they keep it together, they still have a good chance to win a title this upcoming season. Even without Paul, the team will still be centered around an MVP candidate, a DPOY candidate, and one of the best young centers in the league, but the question is how good they will be without Paul to hold the team together.

Paul will leave a giant hole eventually, as they do not have anyone to fully replace him. Backup point guard, Cameron Payne, is nowhere close to being able to replicate Paul’s impact. Chris Paul still has some years left to compete, and for that time, the Suns will still be contenders, but their window will probably be closed after one or two more seasons.