Before Warriors fans begin complaining, the title of this article does not read “best team.” Rather, it reads “hottest team.” Yes, Golden State leads the West with a 12-2 record, but Phoenix is now just one game behind them at 11-3 and are in the midst of a 10 game winning streak.

The Phoenix Suns are the hottest team in the NBA right now. After a shaky start to the 2021 season, Phoenix has turned things around in a major way. So how are the Suns playing so well?

Old-Fashioned

The Suns have implemented the old-fashioned “Big 3” strategy. They have a veteran leader at point guard in Chris Paul, a star on the wing in Devin Booker, and a big man with an immensely high ceiling in DeAndre Ayton.

Paul is leading the league in assists with 10.5 per game and has been a menace on defense as well. While CP3 has had a number of high-scoring outings, Paul’s main focus has been setting up the offense and getting teammates involved.

Every good team needs a veteran leader, and Paul has been featured prominently in that role for the Suns.

Booker has shown up in clutch time this season. D-Book is averaging 23 points per game and has looked locked in on offense as of late. Devin Booker has established himself as a superstar and will look to get Phoenix back to the Finals this year.

Ayton is displaying continuous progression in his fourth NBA campaign. The 23 year old is averaging over 15 points per game while hauling in 11.6 rebounds per game. He has the potential to become the best big man in the league.

In addition to the “Big 3,” the Suns have plenty of depth with role players such as Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, JaVale McGee, Cameron Payne, and others. They win as a team with everybody contributing to the cause.

How Long will the Streak Last?

The Suns have won 10 games in a row and are not showing any signs of slowing down. With that being said, their main focus is set on making the postseason. So while the winning streak is nice, the main focus is to avoid any kind of losing streak.

When the Suns eventually lose a game, the true test of character will be to see how they bounce back. But for now, Phoenix will continue to enjoy their winning ways. They are proving that their success last season was not a fluke and opposing teams are taking notice.

If they continue to play at this level it won’t be long before we are calling them the best team in the league.

The Suns will try and advance the winning streak to 11 against the Mavericks in a home affair on Friday, November 19 at 7 PM PST.