The Phoenix Suns have accumulated talented players over the past year, with trades for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal bolstering the team to be called a title contender. Unfortunately, that was not the case during the 2023/24 season because the Suns were underwhelming, to say the least.
Much of the criticism was on Beal, who regressed from his form for the Washington Wizards to barely scoring over 18 points per game. Renowned NBA media member Bill Simmons thinks the three-time All-Star is the weak point for the Suns in their quest to compete for an NBA championship.
“Did you say the Big 3? I’m out, I never want to hear the word Big 3 again though. Putting Bradley Beal in a Big 3 is just offensive to the history of Big 3s,” Simmons said in a conversation with Zach Lowe on The Bill Simmons Podcast.
The Suns need Beal firing well to succeed
Phoenix had a top-heavy roster during the 23/24 campaign, with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker leading the team. They scored 27.1 points per game apiece during the regular season. That was a far cry from Beal, who struggled mightily as the third option, but the guard also believes the Suns are yet to scratch their true potential .
Bradley was accustomed to being the primary option or at least playing second fiddle to John Wall. However, with the Suns, he found himself in an unfamiliar role, largely reduced to playing off the ball in a system lacking a true point guard.
Booker assumed most of the ball-handling responsibilities, but as a score-first player, he struggled to effectively distribute. This left Beal unable to find his rhythm with limited touches, in contrast to teammate Grayson Allen, who excelled by maximizing his opportunities as an off-ball spot-up shooter.
If the Suns plan on competing for the championship, they must make significant changes to maximize the three-time All-Star. Thankfully, new head coach Mike Budenholzer will likely have sets that could assist the former Wizard. The signing of Tyus Jones could also help get him the touches he needs because the former Memphis Grizzlies standout is a natural playmaker.
Phoenix needs to figure out the rotation
Lowe raised a valid concern in his discussion with Simmons, highlighting the Suns' lack of size. They’re likely to stick with the same starting lineup of Booker, Beal, Allen, Durant, and Jusuf Nurkic, which could be less effective against teams with bigger wings.
To address this, Coach Bud faces tough choices. After a strong 2023/24 season, Allen might be moved to the bench in favor of a bigger wing like Royce O’Neale, who could start at one of the forward positions.
Thankfully, the Suns figured out some of their issues at point guard, with Jones and Monte Morris serving as their point guard rotation behind Booker. It will be interesting to see how the new head coach manages the rotations, but it's a good challenge to have, as he has plenty of talented players to utilize in their pursuit of a championship.
Related: "Five years after I first picked up a basketball, I was in the NBA" - Jusuf Nurkic on how he went from being a farmboy to playing in the NBA
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