Previewing The 2024-25 Phoenix Suns
September 15th, 2024
by Alan Lu
Last year, the Phoenix Suns were expected to be title contenders as they were getting a full season of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, and on paper, it seemed like they were fielding a very good team. After several of their superstars missed some time due to injuries, they won 49 games in the regular season and earned the sixth seed in the playoffs under then-head coach Frank Vogel. However, in the playoffs, they got swept in four games by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Suns were disappointingly ousted without winning a playoff game in 2024.
The Suns fired Vogel shortly afterwards and hired Mike Budenholzer to be their new head coach, and they’re hoping that a coaching change could propel the Suns to make a deeper playoff run. But recently, Durant-led teams have been disappointing in the playoffs ever since he left Golden State, and this marks the second time in three seasons that he’s been on a playoff team that lost in their first round series, so Budenholzer may have his work cut out for him if he hopes to do a significantly better job than Vogel.
Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal will look to put last season’s playoff woes behind them, and new head coach Mike Budenholzer will help lead them into the 2024-25 NBA season.
(Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images, via Bleacher Report)
Star Players:
G Devin Booker, F Kevin Durant, and G Bradley Beal
All three of them are All-Star caliber players that could potentially make it a dynamic and potent offensive attack, with Kevin Durant being a legendary, sharpshooting forward that can do everything, and Devin Booker is a sharpshooting guard that can facilitate, and Bradley Beal can also score and distribute the basketball, but they will also need to coalesce and fit and work together as a squad.
Additions:
G Tyus Jones, C Mason Plumlee, G Monte Morris, F Ryan Dunn, F-C Oso Ighodaro, and F Jalen Bridges
The Suns added some solid role players, and the additions of Tyus Jones and Monte Morris will give them steady playmakers to help them run the point, and Mason Plumlee is an athletic rim protector that also is a solid passing big man. Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro are talented rookies that could challenge for some playing time.
Subtractions:
G Eric Gordon, F Thaddeus Young, G Isaiah Thomas, C Drew Eubanks, and G-F David Roddy
The Suns lost a slew of role players, and the loss of Eric Gordon will hurt their team a bit, as he provided shooting and some defense for them off the bench. Still, the Suns seem to be talented enough to be able to make back the loss of production for the upcoming season.
Rookies:
F Ryan Dunn, F-C Oso Ighodaro, and F Jalen Bridges
Ryan Dunn is an athletic, energetic swingman that is a rangy defender, and he projects to be a shutdown defender at the NBA level, but he will really need to improve his jump shot and find a way to be passable on offense. Oso Ighodaro is an athletic big man that excels at making plays in the paint and can operate as a playmaking hub from the post. Jalen Bridges is a solid prospect that projects well into a 3 and D role in the NBA.
Expected Rotation:
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72414486/1337959761.5.jpg)
Bradley Beal has struggled to stay healthy over the years, as he’s played just 143 regular season games over the past three NBA seasons. (Photo: Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images, via SB Nation’s Bright Side Of The Sun)
The Suns have a very talented team, and they have a strong starting lineup if they can healthy. That’s a big if, because their top players have missed considerable playing time over the years. They may not have the depth that would allow them to fill in their absence, so the Suns may have to ensure that their stars stay healthy for the duration of the season.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Key Bench Players:
Grayson Allen had a very good 2024 season as he demonstrated his sharpshooting prowess, and he’s proved to the Suns to be a valuable role player as he led the league with a 46.1% three-point percentage in the NBA last season. (Photo: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images, via Forbes)
The Suns have a slew of solid role players off the bench. They have a handful of wing players that excel in their roles, with Allen being an excellent sharpshooter, and O’Neale and Okogie are solid defenders. Mason Plumlee will add interior play and passing skills, and Monte Morris is a proven backup point guard that is a steady hand at the point.
G-F Grayson Allen
G-F Royce O’Neale
G-F Josh Okogie
The Rest of the Roster:
G-F Damion Lee
F-C Bol Bol
F-C Oso Ighodaro
F Jalen Bridges (Two-Way)
G Collin Gillespie (Two-Way)
G TyTy Washington (Two-Way)
Others In Camp:
C Tyrese Samuel (Exhibit 10)
G Boo Buie (Exhibit 10)
Head Coach:
The Suns will turn to a different former NBA champion to lead them as the head coach this time around for the 2024-25 NBA season, and they are hoping that Mike Budenholzer can get them closer to getting them the title in 2025. (Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images, via Forbes)
Mike Budenholzer
2023-24 (N/A): 0-0, 0-0 in the playoffs
Coaching Career: 484-317, 56-48 in the NBA Playoffs, won 1 NBA title with the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks
Mike Budenholzer helped the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA championship years ago, and he’s been known to be a solid offensive coach in the league. On the other hand, he’s also coached a couple of teams that had disappointing first round series losses in the playoffs despite being the favored team. At the very least, the Suns should win plenty of games in the regular season.
NBA Head Coach Rank: 13
Outlook:
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are hoping to lead the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns very far into the postseason. (Photo: Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images, via Arizona Sports)
The Suns made big, splashy moves in the offseason, but they’ll need their top players to stay healthy, and they’ve sacrificed a lot of depth over the years to try to get them. They hired a new head coach and added some veteran role players to their team, but it’s uncertain if that will be enough to help them get far in the playoffs in the very competitive Western Conference. But as long as they have Durant and Budenholzer around, they have a chance to make a deep run in the playoffs in 2025.
Projected 2024-25 Finish:
Expected Win-Loss Record: 48-34
Projected Regular Season Finish: 6th in the Western Conference
Expected Playoff Finish: Projected to lose in the 1st Round
Preseason NBA Power Ranking: 11
I went to Basketball-Reference and SalarySwish to look up some information for this write-up. It will be an exciting basketball season this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the season will unfold. Anyways, that is my write-up on my preview of the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns. Thanks for reading.