While the franchise still yearns for the first NBA Championship in 57 seasons of basketball in the Valley, it's hard to say that the 21st century has been a flop for the Phoenix Suns, with five division titles and one NBA Finals berth in the last quarter-century. With that in mind, the team at RotoWire.com compiled the franchise's 'All-Quarter-Century' team, with legends like Steve Nash joined by franchise cornerstones like Amar'e Stoudamire, Devin Booker and Shawn Marion.
Phoenix Suns' Best Since 2000: All-Time Starting Lineup Revealed
Steve Nash (2004-2012)
The man who ranks third all-time in Suns' history with 82.7 win shares across 744 games in the Valley starts off our Phoenix 'All Quarter Century' list, as Nash won both of his NBA MVPs as a member of the franchise while making four consecutive All-Star teams from 2004-05 to 2007-08. In that time, Nash dished out 9.4 assists per game while scoring 14.4 points per game for Phoenix, cementing his status as one of the best playmakers in the NBA during that time. While Nash wound up playing his final two seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and began his career with six seasons as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, most remember his NBA run as a member of the Suns, when he ran one of the league's most explosive offenses and won a lot of games along the way.
Devin Booker: The Modern Face of the Phoenix Suns
The only contemporary member of the Suns organization to make the team is the man who has manned the two guard position in Phoenix since being drafted 13th overall out of Kentucky back in 2015. During that time, Booker's averaged 24.4 points per game on 46.4% shooting while racking up 51.5 win shares and making two All-NBA teams while guiding the club to the NBA Finals in 2021. Booker currently ranks 10th on the club's all-time win share list, behind Dan Majerle (52.0), ranking as the only current Phoenix player to rank on the list and serving as a reminder of the impact that the 28-year-old veteran has made on the region in the last decade. While some wonder how much longer Booker will suit up for the Suns, there's no doubting the talent that he's displayed in 673 games with the club, making four All-Star teams during that time and helping rejuvenate a franchise that had fallen on hard times along the way.
Shawn Marion: Defensive Star and Versatile Forward
Marion, like Booker, started his career in the Valley, with the small forward out of UNLV suiting up in 660 games with the Suns from 1999-2000 through 2007-08. In that time, Marion established himself as a two-way star, averaging 18.4 points per game while making the final ballot of the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award five times in his nine-year run in Phoenix. In his time with the Suns, Marion racked up 93.2 of his 124.9 career win shares, along with 38.7 of his 47.6 VORP, illustrating the impact that the 16-year NBA veteran had at the small forward position over the years. For that role, Marion earned himself a spot on the Suns' 'All Quarter Century' team, joining a few of his former teammates on the list.
Amar'e Stoudemire: Dominant Force in the Paint
One of those former teammates was the man who put the fear of god into opposing defenses via his thunderous dunks and assertive style of play, with power forward Amar'e Stoudemire becoming a household name under head coach Mike D'Antoni in the early part of the century. During that time, Stoudemire averaged 21.4 points per game while pulling down 8.9 rebounds per game, making four All-NBA teams and winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2002-03, while amassing 67.9 of his 92.9 career win shares in the Valley. While Stoudemire wound up following his head coach to the New York Knicks in 2010, his impact on the Suns never waned, with the ninth overall pick in 2002 becoming a household name in the 48th State during his playing career.
Deandre Ayton (2018-2023)
The final member of our Suns' 'All Quarter Century' team is the only man to go No. 1 overall in Suns' history. That's because center Deandre Ayton happened to go to the Suns the lone time they sat atop the NBA draft pick order, going ahead of future stars like Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Trae Young and Mikal Bridges (among others). While all of those players have more career win shares than Ayton's total of 37.6, that's not to say that the 7-footer out of the University of Arizona was a dud in the paint for the Suns.
During his 303-game run in the Valley, Ayton averaged 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, finishing third in the 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year race and posting 30.9 win shares in his time with the franchise. For his work in the paint, Ayton earns the fifth and final spot on our Suns' 'All-Quarter-Century' team, joining his former running mate (Booker) and three other Phoenix basketball luminaries on the list.
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