Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton have lots to prove

Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton are headed to Denver to mine for Nuggets, having already proved two essential things this postseason: diddly and squat.

Beating the Clippers without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard was about as impressive as knocking out a boxer with no arms.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Russell Westbrook remains one of the toughest guys in the NBA, at least when he’s talking trash to fans. And I legitimately believe Ty Lue could coach a team of eighth-graders to 25 wins in the NBA regular season, but all the Suns realistically did in beating the other LA team was do what they were supposed to do.

I think the Suns have the goods to win a championship this season, but Saturday night is when they need to start proving it.

They’re going to have to get past a roster that is to the Suns what Venom is to Spider-Man.

If you think Devin Booker gets no love in NBA circles, allow me to introduce you to Jamal Murray. When he’s healthy, Murray can get buckets like a dairy farmer. If you don’t believe me, ask the 2020 Utah Jazz. Murray had consecutive games of 50, 42 and 50 points in that series, part of a playoff run that ended in the Western Conference finals. Murray is the kind of player whose name comes up in “best dude to never make an All-Star team” debates on team buses driving back from out-of-state AAU tournaments. (Or it would if kids today could talk without using their thumbs and about 32,412 emojis per text message.)

For Durant, meet Aaron Gordon. Arizona fans remember Gordon from the 2013-14 Wildcats squad that lost by one point in overtime to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. Gordon had 18 rebounds that game on his way to being the No. 4 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Since then, he’s been robbed in a couple of dunk contests after slams that would make Stephen A. Smith whisper. Gordon is younger, more athletic and potentially more motivated than Durant, which is a scary combination for an aging all-time great.

And if that’s not enough, Denver also has a healthy Michael Porter Jr., who’s basically Diet KD on any given night. Like Murray, Porter has battled injuries throughout his career, but compared to Durant, Porter is just as tall and every bit as accurate from 3-point range. If he weren’t so brittle, we might be talking about Porter the way we talked about Durant 10 years ago. He’s the kind of guy that Durant needs to destroy to maintain his status as the GOAT of 6-foot-10 Scorers Mountain.

For Chris Paul, the Nuggets have … well, the Nuggets have a history that says Chris Paul will scream himself into a muscle strain that will limit his effectiveness in the most crucial games of the series and the reality that if he gets angry enough, Paul will kick someone where the Suns don’t shine and maybe get suspended for a couple of games. Realistically, former Suns guard Ish Smith is faster than Paul ever was and Reggie Jackson is as cocky as anyone ever has been, but neither belongs in the same gym as Chris Paul when he’s relaxed and in control, especially in the fourth quarter.

And that’s more than 550 words before we’ve even mentioned Nikola Jokic, the most unheralded and disrespected MVP of all time. It’s so bad, I had to look up the spelling of his name, and it’s not like “Jokic” is that hard to spell when I type “Antetokounmpo” at least twice a week. Jokic could very well win his third consecutive MVP this season, and still NBA observers such as myself question whether he’s the kind of center who can win championships. Jokic has a finesse game, but he’s big, mean and nasty, plus his brothers tried to fight Devin Booker a couple of years ago. Jokic might shoot jumpers and pass the ball like a 7-foot Jason Kidd, but trust me, he’s not the kind of guy you want to see on the other side of a bar fight.

Ironically, this could turn into a strength for the Suns.

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Deandre Ayton plays best when he’s angry. DA would make a horrible prosecutor because he’s usually all smiles and jokes, content to let opponents off with a slap on the wrist foul — if he bothers to touch them at all. But when he’s properly motivated, Ayton is one of the few guys in the league who could snatch a rim off a backboard and wear it around his neck like a gold chain. If Jokic gets going and Ayton doesn’t think it’s funny, look out. This could be a return to the Ayton who rebounded harder than a good-looking guy after a divorce early in the 2021 NBA Finals. (Also, a few more dunks would be nice, Big Fella. Just do it for all of us who need six weeks of plyometrics training and a tall ladder to even touch the rim. Please, and thanks.)

This series is going to tell us everything we need to know about the Suns.

I’m not worried about their chemistry, their defense or their bench. I’m just worried that Denver has everything Phoenix has, plus something to prove.

The Suns, for their part, have already proved two essential things so far this postseason: diddly and squat.

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Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @SayingMoore.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kevin Durant and Devin Booker will meet their match vs. Denver Nuggets