A Look Back at the 2019-20 Phoenix Suns

November 15th, 2020

by Alan Lu

The 2020 season was a roller-coaster ride of sorts for the Phoenix Suns.  They got off to a fast start early on, as they started off winning their first 7 of 11 games, and suddenly, there was hope that this team could make it to the playoffs.  However, they struggled midway through the year, as they then won just 19 of their next 54 games, and they ended up being one of the last teams to be invited to the Orlando bubble.

Once there, the Phoenix Suns played excellent basketball due to the tremendous play of Devin Booker and due to solid coaching from Monty Williams.  They won all eight of their regular season games in the Orlando bubble, but they fell just a bit short of a bid for right to be in the play-in game just before the 2020 postseason.  Regardless, their terrific showing in the Orlando bubble gives the Suns hope that they can build off of this, and then get there next season.

G Devin Booker – A-

2020 (PHO): 70 GP, 26.6 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.2 RPG, 49 FG%, 35 3PT%, 92 FT%, 35.9 MPG, 20.6 PER, 7.5 WS

Devin Booker is a superstar guard who made his first All-Star team in the NBA this season.  He excelled as a shooter and scorer for his team, and he also displayed solid playmaking skills.  He was terrific in the Orlando bubble, as he was able to make a game-winning three-point shot over Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers, and he led the Suns to win eight straight games to end the regular season.  He will need to improve his rebounding and defense in the meantime, but Booker is a very talented player that could lead his team to the playoffs in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Starting shooting guard for the Phoenix Suns
Projected 2021 rating: 3.5 stars (4 star potential)

C DeAndre Ayton – B

2020 (PHO): 38 GP, 18.2 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.5 BPG, 55 FG%, 23 3PT%, 75 FT%, 32.5 MPG, 20 PER, 3.1 WS

The Phoenix Suns played well when DeAndre Ayton was on the floor, and they were 20-18 when he played in games.  He did miss considerable time due to violating the NBA’s anti-drug policies, but when healthy, he excelled at scoring and rebounding the basketball.  He will need to improve his defense, and he should work on his outside shot to help his team space the floor better, but Ayton is a talented big man that will be his team’s starting center next season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Starting center for the Phoenix Suns
Projected 2021 rating: 2.5 stars (3.5 star potential)

G Ricky Rubio – B+

2020 (PHO): 65 GP, 13 PPG, 8.8 APG, 4.7 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 41 FG%, 36 3PT%, 86 FT%, 31 MPG, 16.5 PER, 4.9 WS

He is a smart, skilled, pass-first floor general that had a very good season with the Phoenix Suns in 2020.  Rubio excelled as a distributor, and he made a personal-best 36% of his threes to demonstrate that he can ably knock down outside shots to aid his team.  Plus, he also rebounded and defended well when he was on the court.  Rubio provided solid all-around skills for the Suns this past season, and while he might not make any All-Star teams any time soon, and though he’s not really a scorer, Rubio is a solid player that can do a little bit of everything, which could be enough to help his team get into the postseason in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Starting point guard for the Phoenix Suns
Projected 2021 rating: 2.5 stars

F Dario Saric – B-

2020 (PHO): 66 GP, 10.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 48 FG%, 36 3PT%, 84 FT%, 24.7 MPG, 14.2 PER, 3.6 WS

Dario Saric is a tall, point forward that excelled at making shots from all over the floor, and he also did a fairly good job of passing and rebounding the basketball.  He will need to improve his defense, but Saric had a fairly solid season, and he will likely earn plenty of minutes on the Phoenix Suns’ team in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations:
Projected 2021 rating: 2.5 stars

Side note: Will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season.

G-F Kelly Oubre – B-

2020 (PHO): 56 GP, 18.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 45 FG%, 35 3PT%, 78 FT%, 34.5 MPG, 14.9 PER, 3.8 WS

Kelly Oubre is an athletic, skilled swingman that had his best individual season in the NBA.  He averaged nearly 19 points per game, and he excelled as a scorer and rebounder in 2020.  He will still need to improve his playmaking skills and his defense, but Oubre’s ability to put up points will allow him to earn a lot of playing time on the Suns next season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Starting small forward on the Phoenix Suns
Projected 2021 rating: 2.5 stars

G-F Mikal Bridges – B

2020 (PHO): 73 GP, 9.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 51 FG%, 36 3PT%, 84 FT%, 28 MPG, 12.9 PER, 4.8 WS

Mikal Bridges had a very good second-year for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA.  He did just about everything well in a complementary role.  He made shots efficiently from all over the floor, and he played a solid all-around game.  He will need to be much more aggressive in taking shots on offense, but Bridges is a solid player that will earn plenty of playing time with the Suns in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 rating: 2.5 stars (3 star potential)

F Cameron Johnson – B-

2020 (PHO): 57 GP, 8.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 43 FG%, 39 3PT%, 81 FT%, 22 MPG, 12.9 PER, 2.7 WS

Cameron Johnson excelled as a shooter and floor spacer on the court, and he made 39% of his threes as a rookie this past season.  He was efficient in knocking down shots on offense, but he will need to improve in the other facets of the game.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 rating: 2 stars (2.5 star potential

C Aron Baynes – B-

2020 (PHO): 42 GP, 11.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 48 FG%, 35 3PT%, 75 FT%, 22.2 MPG, 15.2 PER, 2.1 WS

Aron Baynes had his best individual season by far, as he had personal bests in many different categories, and he did a solid job of shooting, scoring, and passing the basketball this year.  He will need to improve his rebounding and defense, but he is a solid role player that will likely earn plenty of minutes in an NBA team’s rotation in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 rating: 2 stars

Side note: Baynes will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season.

G Jevon Carter – B

2020 (PHO): 58 GP, 4.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 42 FG%, 42 3PT%, 85 FT%, 16.3 MPG, 11.3 PER, 1.8 WS

He had a solid second-year for the Phoenix Suns in 2020.  Carter really excelled at knocking down three-point shots to space the floor for his team, and he also played good defense when he was on the court.  He will need to be much more assertive in taking shots on offense, and he will need to improve his ability to score inside the arc, but he will likely earn plenty of minutes in a team’s rotation next season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 rating: 2 stars (2.5 star potential)

Side note: Carter will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season.

G Cameron Payne – A

2020 (PHO): 8 GP, 10.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.0 APG, 49 FG%, 52 3PT%, 86 FT%, 22.9 MPG, 15.7 PER, 0.5 WS

After having spent most of the season being out of the NBA, Cameron Payne was able to sign on with the Phoenix Suns late in the year, as it was just in time for the Orlando bubble.  Payne played very well there, and he really excelled there, especially as a shooter and scorer on the floor.  He played well in all facets of the game in the NBA restart, and he will need to prove that his strong performance there was no fluke.  He played a terrific eight games in the bubble, and there’s hope that he can carry that over to have a good 2021 season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 rating: 2 stars

Side note: Payne has a team option that can be picked up at the end of the 2019-20 season.

F-C Frank Kaminsky – C

2020 (PHO): 39 GP, 9.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.9 APG, 45 FG%, 33 3PT%, 68 FT%, 19.9 MPG, 14.2 PER, 1.4 WS

He is a skilled, floor-spacing big man that can shoot and score the basketball.  His shooting percentages were considerably down compared to last season, but he placed more of an emphasis on passing and rebounding the ball.  He will need to improve his rebounding and defense, and get back to shooting as well as he did in 2019 with the Hornets.  Still, his ability to score could enable him to be a rotation player on an NBA team next season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 rating: 1.5 stars

Side note: Has a team option that can be picked up or not at the end of the 2019-20 season.

F-C Cheick Diallo – C

2020 (PHO): 47 GP, 4.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 65 FG%, 10.2 MPG, 16.5 PER, 1.3 WS

Cheick Diallo is a very athletic big man that made shots very efficiently, and he also has generally rebounded the ball well in limited minutes.  He didn’t grab nearly as many rebounds per minute compared to his years with the Pelicans though, and he will need to improve his on-ball defense.  Still, Diallo may be a sleeper that could be due to be a rotation regular for an NBA team one day.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation-caliber player
Projected 2021 rating: 1.5 stars (2 star potential)

Side note: Has a team option that can be picked up or not at the end of the 2019-20 season.

G Elie Okobo – C+

2020 (PHO): 55 GP, 4.0 PPG, 2.1 APG, 1.6 RPG, 40 FG%, 35 3PT%, 70 FT%, 13.1 MPG, 10.6 PER, 1.0 WS

After having had a disappointing rookie season, Okobo fared a little better this year in 2020.  His shooting percentages were generally up, and he improved his outside shot this season.  He also played adequate defense when he was on the floor, but Okobo will still need to be more assertive on offense and improve his ability to score the basketball.  Most likely, he will compete for playing time to try to crack his team’s rotation in 2021.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Rotation player
Projected 2021 rating: 1.5 stars (2 star potential)

G Ty Jerome – C-

2020 (PHO): 31 GP, 3.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 34 FG%, 28 3PT%, 75 FT%, 10.6 MPG, 7.9 PER, 0 WS

Ty Jerome was a member of the 2019 Virginia National Championship team, and he was a first round pick of the Phoenix Suns in the 2019 NBA Draft.  However, he did not play too well in his rookie season this year in the NBA.  He struggled to make shots efficiently, but he did show some fairly solid playmaking and defensive skills when he was on the court.  However, he will really need to improve his shooting and scoring ability to earn considerably more playing time next season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Fringe rotation player, backend roster player
Projected 2021 rating: 1.5 stars (2 star potential)

G Jalen Lecque – D-

2020 (PHO): 19 GP, 2.0 PPG, 40 FG%, 6.4 MPG, 2.7 PER, 0 WS
2020 (NBA G-League): 33 GP, 13.4 PPG, 3.4 APG, 3.3 RPG, 41 FG%, 21 3PT%, 60 FT%, 26.6 MPG, 8.7 PER, -2.1 WS

He is a very athletic, energetic combo guard that tested well athletically at the NBA Draft combine last year, but he went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft.  Lecque didn’t play very much in the NBA this past season or make a noticeable impact, and he really struggled in the G-League as a 19-year old in that league this past season, as he was not a very efficient player at all there in 2020.  Lecque was a highly touted recruit for college basketball, but bypassed that to enter the draft.  The Suns have since acquired him, but it may take Lecque a long time to develop his skills fast enough to be ready to crack their rotation.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Depth guard, backend roster player
Projected 2021 rating: 1 star (2.5 star potential)

F-C Tariq Owens (Two-Way) – D

2020 (PHO): 3 GP, 1.3 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 20 FG%, 5 MPG, 8.4 PER, 0 WS
2020 (NBA G-League): 40 GP, 10.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 59 FG%, 24.4 MPG, 17.8 PER, 2.2 WS

He was on the 2019 Texas Tech that was the runner-up in the National Championship game, and Owens is a very athletic big man that is known for his shot blocking skills and his defense.  Tariq Owens did not play very much in the NBA this past season for the Suns, but he could see more playing time as he projects to be a rim protector in the association.

Interesting tidbits:
Tariq Owens was a starter on the 2019 Texas Tech Red Raiders’ team that was the runner-up to the Virginia Cavaliers, and he played for Texas Tech whom lost in the 2019 NCAA championship game.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Depth big man, backend roster player
Projected 2021 rating: 1 star (2 star potential)

Head Coach:
Monty Williams – B

2020 (PHO):

The Phoenix Suns started out fast and ended strong, but they really struggled during the middle of the season, which may have cost their shot at the playoffs.  They really had trouble getting wins when starting center, DeAndre Ayton was out due to substance abuse issues, but Monty Williams was able to get their team rolling in the Orlando bubble with their main players fully healthy and ready to go.  Monty Williams did a great job of coaching their team in the final eight games to end the season, and the Suns will be brimming and blustering with confidence to enter the 2021 season.

Projected 2021 Role/Expectations: Head coach of the Phoenix Suns
Projected 2021 rating: 2.5 stars

The Phoenix Suns’ 2019-20 season grade: B

Initially expected to be perhaps one of the worst teams in the NBA, the 2020 Phoenix Suns exceeded expectations by nearly making the playoffs, and they had strong years from Devin Booker and numerous others on their team.  The Suns excelled at scoring and passing the basketball, but they will need to improve their rebounding, defense, and ability to make three-point shots.

The Phoenix Suns’ Projected 2020-21 NBA Rotation

Projected Starters:
C DeAndre Ayton
F Dario Saric* (RFA)
F Kelly Oubre
G Devin Booker
G Ricky Rubio

Key Reserves:
G-F Mikal Bridges
F Cameron Johnson
C Aron Baynes* (UFA)

Others competing for a spot in the rotation next season:
G Jevon Carter* (RFA)
G Cameron Payne* (UFA)
The 10^th Overall Pick of the 2020 NBA Draft
F-C Frank Kaminsky
F-C Cheick Diallo

Other players that are currently projected to be on their next season’s roster:
G Elie Okobo
G Ty Jerome
G Jalen Lecque
C Tariq Owens (Two-Way Contract)

Players that will be Restricted Free Agents:
Dario Saric
Jevon Carter

Players that will be Unrestricted Free Agents:
Aron Baynes
Cameron Payne

Projected Players Cut from Next Season’s Roster:
Jalen Lecque (Projection: That he will be released and re-signed to a two-way contract)

2020 NBA Draft Picks:
#10

Projected Offseason Plan for the Suns:

The Suns made a late season surge, and received a tremendous season from star guard, Devin Booker to nearly make the playoffs.  They will likely carry that momentum into next season, and Booker and DeAndre Ayton make up their core of players that they are building their team around.  Ricky Rubio also excelled in his role at the point, and they also received solid seasons from Jevon Carter and Cameron Payne, though those two will duke it out to be the team’s backup point guard if the Suns bring them back. 

Most likely, the Suns will want to bolster their rotation, and so they may draft a forward that can play alongside both Booker and Ayton, but they also could draft a big man, as Ayton missed time due to abusing the league’s substance abuse policy, and Aron Baynes will be a free agent, so there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to re-sign him.

Though the Suns have roughly $20 million to spend in free agency according to Spotrac, they will likely use all of that money to try to keep Saric, Baynes, Carter, and Payne, which would leave them little room to spend on free agents, so if they keep all of them, they would then likely have to go bargain hunting elsewhere to sign undervalued players on minimum contracts.

Expected Regular-Season Record in 2021*: 36-36, 9^th seed in the Western Conference.

The 2021 Suns in this scenario would face off against the projected 8^th seed, the Golden State Warriors, and the winner would the play the projected 2021 1^st seed, Los Angeles Lakers.

Expected 2021 Season Outcome: They will compete for the 8^th seed in the West, but it will be a tough challenge for the Phoenix Suns to make it to the playoffs.  Still, they might be able to make it to the play-in game, which could allow them to play their way into the first round of the postseason. (* – The asterisk denotes that the expected regular season win total is adjusted for the 72 game schedule that the NBA will play for the 2020-21 season.  The initial projection for the Suns was for them to get 41 wins in an 82-game season.  Also, the projected record does not take into account for the NBA draft or free agency, as those events have not happened yet.)

In case if you need the rubric for my player rating system of projecting NBA players for the 2020-21 season, here is the link. In addition, Basketball-Reference, RealGM, and Spotrac were vital information sites that I used to look at player and team statistics, as well as contract information.

Side note: Also, the letter grades attached to the player name was my grade for their 2019-20 season, as it is my judgment of their performance and whether or not they met or exceeded my expectations, and didn’t have much bearing on my projection of how they will perform for the 2020-21 NBA season.

Thank you for reading my grades and review of the 2019-20 Phoenix Suns. There are two key important dates to keep track of. The 2020 NBA Draft is on November 18th, and free agency will begin on November 20th. Thanks for reading.