Three-time NBA Champion Danny Green joined in on the conversations about the Phoenix Suns’ victory over the Denver Nuggets that dominated the basketball conversation on Wednesday. Green spoke about Phoenix’s title chances on his Audacy podcast The Green Room and he and his co-host Harrison Sanford had a different take that could puzzle some NBA fans
Sanford started out with a bold assertion that the Suns are pretenders.
“And Danny, I cannot believe it. I cannot believe it. A team with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. I am convinced enough to say they are a pretender. I just don’t see it, Danny. I think they’re a pretender. They don’t have a great fourth-quarter offense. They don’t have a true point guard and they’re going to be a playing team. That’s a recipe for disaster. If you’re not, if you, if I can’t see you in the Western Conference finals. You’re not a contender and I don’t see the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals.”
Danny Green chimed in, echoing Sanford’s sentiments.
“I’m with you on that, man. I agree. But it’s not entirely their fault. I feel like they haven’t got enough time. They haven’t, well, they had enough time, but there’s not enough time with their three healthy, the minutes, even though Bradley Bills on minute restriction, he had a great game of the night. I think he had 31, played well, but then book goes down. This big three, I’ll say that they had more minutes than James Kyrie and KB, but still not enough reps to see what they really look like.”
Green and Sanford’s comments are the polar opposite of JJ Redick’s assertion on ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday morning that the Suns are indeed a contender and NBA fans should pay attention to them.
“This is a really good basketball team. And we spend so much time talking about the Lakers. We spend so much time talking about the four best teams in the Western Conference. We should not be overlooking the Phoenix Suns. When it comes to real playoff runs and real playoff contention. They are a damn good basketball team.”
The contrasts in opinions about the Suns, who have yet to truly have a sustained stretch where they’ve been fully healthy, has been interesting. As the playoff race heats up, it’s only going to get more intriguing.
