After the Phoenix Suns were swept out of the first round of the NBA playoffs this year, I wrote an article about them and the failure that they had already become. I mentioned that they had no chance of ever doing anything with the roster that they have and the absurd contracts that they took on. That article is listed below.
Why the Phoenix Suns are Officially a Failure!
Fast forward a few months, and I have changed my tone on the Phoenix Suns and what they are capable of this season. So much so, that I am ready to call my shot and say that the Phoenix Suns WILL win the NBA Championship in 2025. Let me explain my reasoning.
Everything that the Suns have done this offseason has been for the betterment of the team, and while they are still carrying three massive contracts that are not at all team friendly, I believe that the progress made by specific players and decisions made by the franchise this Summer have all been major steps forward for the Suns.
The Phoenix Suns Draft
Starting with the NBA Draft at the end of June, Phoenix had to make the most of their picks because as we know, they do not have many of them over the next few years. Going into the draft, Phoenix had a few key needs at point guard, small forward, and center.
The Suns had a great draft all things considered, helping out their future and filling some roster holes.
The Suns picked up forward Ryan Dunn with the 28th overall pick which of course gives the Suns more roster depth as they desperately needed, but in Dunn they are getting a big, physical, and athletic forward that plays stand out defense and could fall into a nice role with the Suns if used right.
Oso Ighodaro was their next pickup on draft night. Standing at 6’11 and weighing 222 pounds, Oso is exactly what Phoenix needed. An efficient big man who can play elite defense. The theme of the draft was to build on the roster depth with defensive minded players who can play their role effectively because they already have all the offense they could ever want in their big three, as well as two of those three being very capable defenders when they are motivated to do so. Jalen Bridges was also picked up as an undrafted free agent and signed to a two way contract. If Bridges gets his shot then we will see yet another great defender join as a role player that can make an immediate impact on the team.
The Phoenix Suns Free Agency Signings
The Suns had a pretty successful free agency period, further addressing two positional needs with the signings of point guard Tyus Jones and center Mason Plumlee.
The addition of Plumlee is huge of course because now they will have more depth at the five, and despite his age and the fact that he is not exactly the biggest name out there, Plumlee should still be able to give Phoenix valuable minutes off of the bench in relief of Jusuf Nurkic. If Nurkic can stay on the court I believe he can be one of the best bigs in the league, and the two additions of Plumlee and Oso will make life easier on him.
Tyus Jones was, in my opinion, the best addition of the Summer for the Phoenix Suns.
One of the biggest problems that has been plaguing the Suns since the departure of Chris Paul has been their lack of a true point guard. Devin Booker has been running the point guard position for Phoenix which has caused their offense to stagnate and not flow the way that it very clearly could.
It is not a knock on Booker because he has done a commendable job at the point guard position, but it is obvious that he is a score first player who should not have to worry about setting up his teammates as well as creating his own offense. Now with the addition of Jones, he can run the offense for the Suns and spread the ball around to the talented offensive stars of Durant, Beal, and Booker. The best part of all of this is that Jones does not need to score and he will almost certainly always be looking to make the right pass first. Having a true point guard will provide stability and a more natural flow to the offense which is going to open up a world of new possibilities for this team.
The Growing Chemistry Between Booker and Durant
Finally, another major positive is the quality playing time that Devin Booker and Kevin Durant had together this Summer at the Paris Olympics. It cannot be understated how valuable this experience could be for the two Suns teammates. The two have not yet played a full season together in Phoenix because of the injuries to both men but this Summer they won a gold medal together for their country. This was a massive Summer for their bond as teammates and friends, and it will definitely be a massive plus for their chemistry with one another. It never felt at any point during the 2023-24 NBA season that they were fully connected, but the six weeks they spent together traveling the world playing basketball everyday with 10 more of the greatest players on Earth is definitely something that should have gave the fans something to be happy about as they look towards the 2024-25 NBA season.
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