NBA Pretenders or Contenders: The Lakers, Nets are for real; Are the 76ers?

NBA Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant James Harden (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
NBA Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant James Harden (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
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Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns Devin Booker (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

NBA Pretenders or Contenders: Phoenix Suns

ORTG: 109.8 (17th) 

DRTG: 107.7 (5th) 

NetRTG: 2.1 (10th) 

The Phoenix Suns have been hit or miss all season, but are still sitting as a top 5 team in the Western Conference. Expect this to be the case for the remainder of the year, heading into the push for the playoffs.

The addition of Chris Paul has been huge and has certainly helped this team make the jump to playoff contenders. Devin Booker is still one of the most dangerous and explosive offensive players in the league and is still getting better.

Still, Phoenix is still a relatively young team that will have its waves of inconsistency throughout the course of an NBA season.

Especially with Paul and Booker playing at such a high level, the Suns will not be a team that anyone should want to face in a playoff series but still a team that is a piece or two away from true championship contention in the Western Conference.

Verdict: Pretenders