Claudia Collins
The Phoenix Suns are bound to age well with a roster sporting very young talent.
While the Suns are having a breakthrough season building upon their success in the bubble last year, they’re a below-average team. Not by their game, but by their age. The average age of NBA players in 2021 is 26 years old.
So how do some of the top teams in the West compare to the age of the rising Suns?
Starting with the number one team in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz.
Spida rises and connects in #PhantomCam!@utahjazz 46@sixers 37 pic.twitter.com/zI4OlQDfGS
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2021
The Jazz is having an extraordinarily good season leading the Western Conference with a 27-9 record. Averaging 24.7 points per game, Donovan Mitchell is one of the keys to Utah’s success at just 24 years old. Mitchell is in an unusual position being the youngest player on the starting five. The other name that comes into the mix along with Donovan Mitchell is Rudy Gobert. By no means is Gobert old, but he’s on the older end of the spectrum in the NBA at 28-years-old.
Moving on to the LA Lakers.
The Sixth Man of the Year joins the starting five 🔥#SuitingUpTogether | @ToyotaSocal pic.twitter.com/ckef2JLGHU
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 3, 2021
Yeah, they’re pretty old for NBA standards. Leading the pack is LeBron James, who’s already a legend in the sport. To put it in perspective – when LeBron James made his NBA debut in 2003, Devin Booker was nearing his seventh birthday. LeBron and fellow starter, Marc Gasol are both 36 years old, making them the oldest in the mix. While Gasol and James have quite some years between them and the rest of the starting five, the youngest starting players are at least 27 years old.
Now finally, how do the Phoenix Suns stack up?
Current No. 2 seed in the West: the Phoenix Suns ☀️🏜 pic.twitter.com/SoUFLXYtIR
— ESPN (@espn) March 3, 2021
The Phoenix Suns are definitely on the rise. This team sports the youngest roster out of the top three ranked teams in the Western Division. Even if the Suns don’t win a championship this year, they have a lot of potential for the years to come.
Devin Booker (24), Deandre Ayton (22), and Mikal Bridges (24) are all extremely young by any standard. The three starters have been a dominant force this season with Booker leading the pack, averaging 24.9 points per game. While these three starters likely still haven’t hit their prime, Chris Paul and Frank Kaminsky are seasoned players.
The Suns have become a team to beat in the West and that will likely remain for years to come. With so much young talent on the hardwood at Talking Stick Resort Arena, it’s a good era to be a Suns fan.
