The Phoenix Suns did not commerce for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal with the intention to get swept within the first spherical of the playoffs. When the Minnesota Timberwolves, a group they’d dominated within the common season, beat them 4 straight instances in April, it stamped their 2023-24 season as a failure. Devin Booker stated after Sport 4 that they wanted to pay extra consideration to the “particulars” as a substitute of pondering they may “win off expertise.” Every week-and-a-half later, they fired coach Frank Vogel.
Given how disastrously the season ended, it’s simple to overlook that some issues did go proper for the Suns. In his pseudo-PG function, Booker’s assists went up, his turnovers went down and he scored as effectively as normal. Durant solely missed seven video games, his fewest since tearing his Achilles in 2019. Jusuf Nurkic missed solely six video games, his fewest since 2017-18, and usually slot in about in addition to Phoenix might have hoped. Grayson Allen had a profession yr, making an absurd 46.1% of his 3s.
The Suns entered the offseason with few instruments to improve the roster, however they managed to make important strikes. Perhaps new coach Mike Budenholzer will nail all these “particulars,” along with rising their 3-point charge. Perhaps new level guards Tyus Jones and Monte Morris will make certain the system runs easily. Perhaps, with veteran massive man Mason Plumlee and rookie ahead Ryan Dunn becoming a member of Allen and Royce O’Neale on the second unit, depth can be a power. Given how they regarded the final time we noticed them, although, they don’t seem to be going to be within the championship dialog till they show they belong.
The state of play
Final yr: Beal, Booker and Durant performed collectively in precisely half of the Suns’ video games, and so they went 26-15 in that pattern, i.e. good, however not dominant, identical to the group’s plus-6.6 level differential of their minutes; after getting roasted by Luka Doncic on Christmas, Phoenix was 14-15, nevertheless it completed the common season 49-33 (No. 10 on offense, No. 13 on protection) and each Durant and Booker made All-NBA, accomplishments that may really feel far more significant if the Wolves sequence hadn’t been so brutal.
The offseason: The Suns are clearly hoping that Budenholzer and the 2 new “coach on the ground” varieties will straighten issues out in 2024-25. Along with getting Jones, Morris and Plumlee to signal for the minimal, they re-signed O’Neale (4 years, $42 million) and Josh Okogie (two years, $16 million) on tradeable contracts and introduced again Bol Bol and Damion Lee on minimums. On draft night time, they traded right down to get a wing stopper (Dunn, No. 28) and as much as get a playmaking 5 (Oso Ighodaro, No. 40). In addition they dumped David Roddy, waived Nassir Little and waved goodbye to Eric Gordon and Drew Eubanks.
Greatest case for 2024-25: The offense is among the many finest in NBA historical past, the protection barely improves and the Suns shortly set up themselves as contenders; after Budenholzer wins his third Coach of the Yr award, Phoenix is way and away the league’s finest clutch group within the playoffs, which powers an surprising Finals run.
Worst case 2024-25: Beal misses much more video games than he did in his first yr in Phoenix, the protection is dreadful and a compilation of Nurkic’s missed layups goes down because the season’s most enduring artifact; Durant commerce rumors pop up across the deadline and warmth up after the Suns are swept within the first spherical once more.
The dialog
Suns believer: It is humorous how the NBA works. Final yr, the Suns commerce for Bradley Beal and are available into the season with all kinds of hype regardless of obvious holes on the roster. This yr, they fill these holes with a miraculous sequence of signings — Tyus Jones, Monte Morris and Mason Plumlee, all on the minimal??? — and no one appears to care about them. I wager the individuals placing them a tier beneath the “actual” title contenders are the identical individuals who complained about Frank Vogel’s teaching and their lack of a standard level guard final season. Properly, Vogel’s gone now! They haven’t one, however two pass-first level guards! A full season of Royce O’Neale will assist, too, and I am beginning to suppose Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro can play immediately.
Suns skeptic: What precisely are you mad about? Individuals have been intrigued with Phoenix’s Huge 3 final season as a result of it was new. I am unable to communicate for everybody who’s a bit hesitant to pump up the Suns proper now, however, after watching them final season, I am much less intrigued! This is not a superteam, actually. The offense was fairly good, however not what you’d count on out of a group with three respectable star scorers. The protection was, like, effective, I assume. The entrance workplace discovered good worth in free company, for certain, however, until Mike Budenholzer turns Jusuf Nurkic into Brook Lopez, I do not see these guys getting out of the West.
Suns believer: Did you see the Mavericks getting out of the West final yr? What concerning the Nuggets the yr earlier than? The method for these Suns, I believe, is comparable: Be completely unstoppable offensively, and be disciplined on the opposite finish. Nurkic is not going to guard the rim like Lopez, however he is a wonderfully competent drop defender, a terrific rebounder and one of many higher passing bigs on the market. Perhaps he’ll get just a few extra 3s up beneath Budenholzer — I anticipate that everyone will — however I do not think about his function altering a lot. The large change, to me, goes to be how the celebrities are used. Notably Booker. It is taxing to need to provoke the offense as typically as he did beneath Vogel; if he can have considered one of his most effective seasons because the de facto level guard, think about how environment friendly he’ll be when the purpose guards are setting him up for open photographs. Budenholzer goes to make use of him as a screener, run him off pindowns and usually make it tougher for opponents to game-plan for him.
Suns skeptic: Oh, proper, I forgot to appropriate you earlier: I used to be definitively not one of many individuals who stored harping on the Suns’ lack of some extent guard final season. I imply, they weren’t at all times probably the most organized group offensively, however playmaking was the least of their issues. And whereas I perceive the argument for mixing up Booker’s utilization, I am a bit confused about why that’s obligatory. When Mike D’Antoni went to Houston, put the ball in James Harden’s palms and known as him a “factors guard,” everyone stated it was sensible. All through Kevin Durant’s profession, I’ve at all times needed to see a group encompass him with related spacing and let him cook dinner the identical manner. As an alternative, you are telling me that Booker and KD and Beal are all going to be operating round off the ball — or standing round on the perimeter — so Jones can run pick-and-rolls and Nurkic can get his high-post touches? This does not appear to be probably the most environment friendly strategy to play.
Suns believer: I assume you hated how KD performed with the Warriors, then. Truthfully, I am form of flabbergasted as a result of I by no means thought I would have to clarify to somebody why ball motion and unpredictability are good. The Suns did not signal Jones and Morris so they may flip the Huge 3 into spectators; they signed Jones and Morris to make the Huge 3 extra harmful. Booker, KD and Beal will all get to run pick-and-rolls, I promise. Ideally, although, this iteration of the Suns will really feel extra like a group than final yr’s did. Ideally, they are going to keep away from my-turn, your-turn basketball, and so they will not lead the league in lengthy 2s. You do not really like stagnant offense, do you? Are you anti-passing? Anti-cutting? Anti-fun?
Suns skeptic: I am not towards any of these issues, however I am towards presenting aesthetic preferences as in the event that they’re one thing else. I care about factors, not type factors. Simply as soon as, I wish to hear a coach say at media day that the group is engaged on enjoying slower and passing the ball much less regularly, if solely to fight the notion that each basketball drawback could be solved with tempo and ball motion. I will at all times do not forget that, when D’Antoni was with the Rockets, he stated, “You progress round loads, you wind up nearer to the rim, capturing runners and shit.” He knew what he was speaking about, and I maintain fascinated by what he would’ve deliberate if the Suns had introduced him again as a substitute of hiring Budenholzer. My guess: Grayson Allen can be within the beginning lineup and house the ground manner behind the 3-point line. KD can be the nominal beginning heart, however he and Booker would share playmaking duties the way in which Harden and Chris Paul did. Royce O’Neale would begin on the 4 spot, however he, not Durant, would normally defend opposing 5s. If Dunn is pretty much as good as you suppose he’s, perhaps Beal can be the sixth man.
Suns believer: D’Antoni would bench Jones, Nurkic and Beal? I believed you have been attempting to suggest that he is sensible. Congratulations, although, for accusing me of placing type over substance, then instantly proposing a loopy gimmick that may solely enchantment to the form of one who satisfied themselves that the 2020 Rockets have been going to win the title. The entire motive I am assured that Budenholzer is the suitable man for the Suns is that he understands the way to play to a group’s strengths. In Atlanta, he turned Kyle Korver into an absolute monster, constructed an elite offense with out a conventional famous person and constructed an elite protection that operated utterly in another way than the one he’d go on to construct in Milwaukee. Each coach has his rules — I am certain, primarily based on Budenholzer’s historical past, that Phoenix will emphasize spacing, transition protection, avoiding fouls and taking good care of the ball — however what he does with this group can be a bit completely different than what he is performed earlier than.
Suns skeptic: Budenholzer is not the primary coach that involves thoughts once I take into consideration adaptability, however I certain hope he is open-minded with this gig. It worries me, although, that they promised Jones a beginning spot and Budenholzer introduced his beginning lineup earlier than coaching camp even started. The Jones-Beal-Booker-Durant-Nurkic group is tiny on the wing, and it asks manner an excessive amount of of Booker and Beal defensively. In addition to, why field your self in earlier than it’s important to?
Suns believer: You make one thing out of nothing. Budenholzer was simply stating the apparent. Jones would not be in Phoenix if the group hadn’t provided him a beginning job, and Allen was greater than keen to sacrifice his spot. I do not get why you hate Nurkic a lot, however even if you wish to commerce him, benching him looks as if a foul transfer. Beal is Beal, finish of debate. The Suns aren’t “boxed in” in any way; if this look is not working originally of the season, Budenzholer can do no matter he desires with the rotation. I am certain Jones understands that his spot is contingent on him, you realize, serving to the group win. Why will not you simply acknowledge that Phoenix improved in an enormous manner this summer season as a substitute of on the lookout for little issues to complain about?
Suns skeptic: I’m pleased to state for the document that the Suns’ total expertise stage improved this summer season. Given their insane payroll, it was spectacular that they have been in a position to seize any free brokers different groups have been taken with. They’re past all-in, although, KD is 36 years previous and you may’t depend on Beal to be accessible. The aim heading into the offseason was to not assemble a group that might win just a few extra video games within the common season; it was to assemble a group that may realistically win a title. I do not consider the entrance workplace has performed that, and I do not consider that is the sort of shortcoming that qualifies as a “little factor.”
