The 2024-25 NBA season is here! We break down the biggest questions, best and worst case scenarios and fantasy prospects for all 30 teams. Enjoy!
PHOENIX SUNS
2023-24 end
Offseason moves
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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 Young, David Roddy, Isaiah Thomas, Nassir Little
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Complete roster
The Big Question: Was a point guard all that was missing?
Undrafted combo guard Jordan Goodwin was the closest thing to a point guard the Phoenix Suns had on the roster last season. He played half of their games and totaled 78 assists. Seven members of the rotation recorded more assists, including everyone in the starting lineup. (Yes, Jusuf Nurkić had more assists.)
With that kind of firepower, the Suns should have easily boasted a top-five offense. Instead, they posted the worst assist-to-turnover ratio (1.82) of any serious team in the Western Conference last season. They moved less and slower than 27 of the league’s 30 teams, according to NBA tracking data. They were closer to the 25th-ranked Toronto Raptors than they were to the league-leading Boston Celtics.
They also had nothing more than minimum contracts available to address this issue in the offseason. Somehow they got both Tyus Jones and Monte Morris, who have sandwiched Delon Wright among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio. They are table makers, first and foremost, and they rarely turn the ball over.
Add in a new head coach, Mike Budenholzer, who designed top-five offenses in Atlanta and Milwaukee, and that’s a solid starting point for significant improvement. Suddenly, you realize Oh yeah, maybe they should have someone to set up a trio of elite scorers rather than leaving them to fend for themselves.
Except, Jones and Morris aren’t addressing a glaring weakness on defense. The Suns were swept in the first round of the playoffs, allowing 123.2 points per 100 possessions to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they may have just gotten worse for it. If Phoenix wants to play its three stars, center (Nurkić or rookie Mason Plumlee) and point guard, they need Booker, Durant and Beal to be better on defense. That is.
[Haberstroh: Are Durant and Booker the next dominoes to fall?]
Booker is a willing defender if not a great one. Beal was once similar but gave up his defense against the Washington Wizards. Durant is 36 years old, though he’s still better than he gets credit for on that end. They must work together. Maybe having a point guard that makes their life a little easier on the offensive end will save them some energy on defense, where real contenders are made.
Budenholzer built an elite defense in Milwaukee, but he had an All-Defensive triumvirate — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez — as the backbone of his championship team. Who on the Suns can come close to making that claim? They were lucky to rate 13th in defense last season. Then again, outgoing coach Frank Vogel built a championship-level defense on the Los Angeles Lakers.
If the Suns maintain league-average defense and field an elite offensive unit, that’s a 50-win team. This is achievable and should be for a team that boasts two members of Team USA. Will it make a difference in the playoffs? Only if Budenholzer can plan a defense greater than the sum of its parts.
Best case scenario
Jones is thriving in his first experience as a starter on a talented team, sorting out Durant, Booker and Beal in something like 75 points a night. Another season together (this one healthy) yields improved chemistry, especially on the defensive end. Moving Grayson Allen to the bench, with Morris and Plumlee providing additional depth, prevents Phoenix from pitching the league’s worst scoring reserves again this season. And they’re no longer first-round fodder but a major upset threat for any of the conference’s elite.
If everything falls apart
Leaning more heavily toward an offensive organization does nothing to address their defensive issues — or worse. Neither Durant nor Beal, both of whom have missed significant time over the past several seasons, can handle their health. Nurkić cannot anchor a midfield defense. A new coach cannot fence a team stuck in its ways. The Suns, as they were for much of last season, are scrapping just to stay relevant in the West, and they risk becoming the worst financial investment on any roster ever.
A fancy spin
A move from Vogel to Budenholzer is an upgrade in fantasy. Coach Bud’s offense prioritizes taking more 3s and getting effective looks near the rim. He typically doesn’t play his starters for 34 minutes per game, but given the health concerns surrounding the Suns’ big three, that’s a good thing in the long run.
I pegged Durant to a mid-second round pick because a lot of his stats last year came without Beal on the court. Beal hasn’t played more than 60 games in three straight seasons, so Durant’s ADP could be a steal if history repeats itself. Nurkić’s fantasy value grows as he presumably takes on the Brook Lopez role as a stretch-five on offense and the drop-cover edge protector on defense.
Bringing in Jones on a one-year deal was a good move to help the Suns on both fronts. Jones is a consistently cheap source of assists and steals from the guard who is late in drafts. And watch out for the swole sniper Grayson Allen. Assuming all that muscle hasn’t affected his jumper, he should be a good source of 3s, even if he comes off the bench. – And Titus
schedule 2024-25
They won 49 games last season and are better. Take the upper hand and don’t feel good about it.
