Phoenix Suns 2024-25 season preview: Kevin Durant and the NBA’s flamable contender
The 2024-25 NBA season is right here! We’re breaking down the largest questions, best- and worst-case eventualities, and fantasy outlooks for all 30 groups. Get pleasure from!
PHOENIX SUNS
2023-24 end
Offseason strikes
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Additions: Tyus Jones, Monte Morris, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro
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Subtractions: Eric Gordon, Drew Eubanks, Thaddeus Younger, David Roddy, Isaiah Thomas, Nassir Little
The Massive Query: Was some extent guard all that was lacking?
Undrafted combo guard Jordan Goodwin was the closest factor to some extent guard the Phoenix Suns had on the roster final season. He performed half their video games and totaled 78 assists. Seven members of the rotation registered extra assists, together with everybody within the beginning lineup. (Sure, Jusuf Nurkić had extra assists.)
With that sort of firepower, the Suns ought to have simply boasted a top-five offense. As an alternative, they submitted the worst assist-to-turnover ratio (1.82) of any severe group within the Western Convention final season. They moved much less and slower than 27 of the league’s 30 groups, in response to NBA monitoring information. They had been nearer to the Twenty fifth-rated Toronto Raptors than they had been the league-leading Boston Celtics.
Additionally they had nothing greater than minimal contracts obtainable to deal with this difficulty within the offseason. Someway they landed each Tyus Jones and Monte Morris, who sandwiched Delon Wright among the many league’s leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio. They’re table-setters, firstly, they usually not often flip the ball over.
Add a brand new head coach, Mike Budenholzer, who designed top-five offenses in each Atlanta and Milwaukee, and that could be a strong start line for important enchancment. Out of the blue, you understand, Oh, yeah, perhaps they need to have had somebody to arrange a trio of elite scorers relatively than allow them to fend for themselves.
Besides, Jones and Morris don’t deal with a obvious weak point on protection. The Suns had been swept from the primary spherical of the playoffs, permitting 123.2 factors per 100 possessions to the Minnesota Timberwolves, they usually could have simply gotten worse on that finish. If Phoenix needs to play its three stars, a middle (Nurkić or newcomer Mason Plumlee) and some extent guard, they want Booker, Durant and Beal to be higher on protection. That’s it.
[Haberstroh: Are Durant and Booker the next dominoes to fall?]
Booker is a keen defender if not an awesome one. Beal was as soon as comparable however deserted his protection on the Washington Wizards. Durant is 36 years previous, although he’s nonetheless higher than he will get credit score for on that finish. Collectively they need to put forth the hassle. Perhaps having some extent guard who will make their lives slightly simpler on the offensive finish will save them some vitality on protection, the place true contenders are made.
Budenholzer constructed an elite protection in Milwaukee, however he had an All-Defensive triumvirate — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Vacation and Brook Lopez — because the spine of his championship group. Who on the Suns can come shut to creating that declare? They had been lucky to fee thirteenth on protection final season. Then once more, outgoing coach Frank Vogel constructed a championship-level protection on the Los Angeles Lakers.
If the Suns preserve a league-average protection and discipline an elite offensive unit, that could be a 50-win group. That is properly inside attain and must be for a group that boasts two members of Workforce USA. Will it make a lick of distinction within the playoffs? Provided that Budenholzer can scheme a protection better than the sum of its components.
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Finest-case situation
Jones thrives in his first expertise as a starter on a gifted group, sorting Durant, Booker and Beal into one thing like 75 factors an evening. One other season collectively (this one wholesome) yields improved chemistry, particularly on the defensive finish. Shifting Grayson Allen to the bench, the place Morris and Plumlee present further depth, prevents Phoenix from fielding the league’s worst-scoring reserves once more this season. And they’re now not first-round fodder however a severe upset risk to any of the convention’s elite.
If the whole lot falls aside
Leaning heavier into offensive group does nothing to deal with their defensive woes — or worse. Neither Durant nor Beal, each of whom have missed important time over the previous a number of seasons, can get a deal with on their well being. Nurkić can not anchor a mean protection. A brand new coach can not corral a group caught in its methods. The Suns, as they had been for a lot of final season, are scrapping simply to remain related within the West, and they’re susceptible to changing into essentially the most dreadful monetary funding into any roster ever.
Fantasy spin
Shifting from Vogel to Budenholzer is an improve in fantasy. Coach Bud’s offense prioritizes taking extra 3’s and getting environment friendly appears to be like close to the rim. He usually does not play his starters over 34 minutes a recreation, however given the well being issues across the Suns’ large three, that is a great factor in the long term.
I’ve docked Durant to a mid-second-round decide as a result of a lot of his stats final 12 months got here with out Beal on the courtroom. Beal has did not play greater than 60 video games in three straight seasons, so Durant’s ADP might be a steal if historical past repeats. Nurkić’s fantasy worth is rising since he presumably takes on the Lopez function as a stretch-five on offense and the drop protection rim protector on protection.
Bringing Jones in on a one-year deal was a great transfer to assist the Suns on each ends. Jones is regularly an inexpensive supply of assists and steals from the guard spot who goes late in drafts. And be careful for the swole sniper Grayson Allen. Assuming all that muscle did not have an effect on his jumper, he must be a great supply of three’s, even when he is coming off the bench. — Dan Titus
2024-25 schedule
They gained 49 video games final season and are higher. Take the over and don’t really feel nice about it.
