5. Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns
We all need to pray we get a Western Conference Finals series of the Suns vs. the Warriors. These are two great teams that match up really well against one another and they both play great basketball, on offense and defense.
Booker is one of the biggest reasons why the Suns are so deadly right now; he’s become one of the best scorers in the league and looks more and more Kobe Bryant-esque with every game. His ability to create space and hit difficult shots means he can score against the best defenders the league has to offer.
Averages of 22.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 4.6 APG whilst hitting 42% of his 3s put him in a great position for the Suns to make the Finals again.
4. Chris Paul – Phoenix Suns
When the phrase “veteran leadership” is ever brought up in the context of basketball, the first player that should come to your mind is Chris Paul. He may not have a title (yet) but no one in the league has been as consistent a professional as CP3. He will be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer when he retires and is one of the greatest point-guards to have ever played.
In my opinion, the only reason Paul hasn’t won a title so far is that he’s only 6-feet tall. The shortest Finals MVP in league history was Isiah Thomas in 1990 and he was 6-foot-1. Being tall matters in the NBA and if CP3 was 6-foot-5 he’d be a top 10 player of all time.
Even with his small stature, Paul is still leading his team to wins at 36 years of age. He’s averaging 14.6 PPG, 1.9 SPG, and a league-leading 9.9 APG. His Suns are also 26-6 which is the 2nd best record in the league right now.