JaVale McGee expects the Phoenix Suns to win the championship now that he’s on the roster

Brad Sullivan
2 Min Read
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Veteran center JaVale McGee humbly believes that his addition to the Phoenix Suns roster is a sure sign that the team will win the 2022 NBA title.

The 34-year-old McGee was signed by the Suns during the offseason to provide veteran leadership off the bench and feels that he’s the missing piece the team needed.

“They were the best team last year, they just lost in the Finals,” McGee said. “They need one more piece and I’m that piece. I feel it, this that year.”

In his 74 regular season games for the Suns this year, McGee actually started 17 contests. During his time on the court, he averaged 9.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Those numbers don’t necessarily suggest any major impact that McGee has had on the Suns’ fortunes. However, it’s his recent past as a part of three NBA championship teams that’s allowed him to gain stature as a valued player with plenty of experience.

McGee’s championship pedigree began when he was on the roster of the Golden State Warriors when they won consecutive NBA titles in 2017 and 2018. After moving on to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, McGee ended his second season with the team as part of the 2020 championship squad.

During the current postseason, McGee has played well in his role as Deandre Ayton’s backup. McGee has been productive on the court and allowed Ayton to get the rest needed for what the team hopes will be another deep playoff run.

The Suns will have home-court advantage for as long as they remain in the postseason this year. To win the franchise’s first-ever NBA title, they still need to win three more series.

If the Suns are able to win the 2022 NBA title, they’ll erase last year’s painful finals loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. In addition, they’ll also make McGee’s words come true.

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Brad has written on a variety of both NBA and NFL topics and has worked previously as a sports information director at the collegiate level. A lifetime fan of sports, he's witnessed countless great moments in different sports and understands that stories can be compelling from both the perspective of winners and losers. As a frustrated fan of Cleveland sports, he experienced something unprecedented when the Cavaliers won the city's first championship in 52 years.