Breaking Down the Suns' Starting Five Against Dallas

Phoenix comes into their first back-to-back of the season against Dallas on Saturday night.

Feb 22, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots over Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Mavericks and Suns have had a rivalry that dates back to the mid-2000s when Steve Nash ended up in a Phoenix uniform and won two straight MVPs after his stint in Dallas. They split two series in the 2005 and 2006 playoffs before once again meeting in 2022 en route to the Mavericks' first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2011.

That Game 7 in 2022 was legendary for several reasons – for one, it created an all-time meme, but for another, it signaled the beginning of the end of the Chris Paul era for Phoenix, who was dealt to Washington for Bradley Beal in June of 2023. The Suns had already acquired Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade involving Mikal Bridges and others, as well as several picks.

This offseason, former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer took over the franchise at a critical time, just 24 hours after firing Frank Vogel. As a team on the verge of contending, the Suns needed Budenholzer, who has experience winning titles, as he did in Milwaukee in 2021.

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As it stands now, Phoenix is a team that is unbalanced, but one that obviously has top-end talent with the aforementioned two (though Beal has struggled heavily with injuries) as well as Devin Booker. Here is their starting lineup, and some things to think about ahead of tonight's matchup.

At lead initiator is the newly acquired Tyus Jones, a pass-first point guard who specializes in running an offense. Though not a real scoring threat, he is the type of guard that will record seven or more assists in a game on a regular basis. He did so in his first game with Phoenix against the LA Clippers, dishing eight dimes and scoring 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting; against the Lakers, however, he had just four assists. The Suns operated much of last season with Booker as the lead guard, which had mixed results. Adding Jones gives them a real floor general that can establish offense, though he's not a player that can go off in the points department.

READ MORE: Mavericks at Suns: How To Watch, Time, TV, & Odds

At shooting guard is a player with all-NBA potential in Devin Booker, who has averaged around 27 points per game for the last five seasons in a Phoenix uniform. He's a truly advanced shotmaker with an elite functional handle that is a major reason the Suns have been semi-contenders for the last few seasons, alongside a host of different stars. He scored 23 in a loss to the LA Lakers last night, so look for him to have a big game against a Mavericks perimeter defense that can be susceptible to good shotmaking.

At small forward will be Bradley Beal, who, as mentioned earlier, was acquired in the Chris Paul trade June of 2023. Often injured, he hasn't played 53 or more games in a season since the 2020-21 season, but he seems to be ready to go for this year, playing the Suns' first two games so far. He scored 15 points last night but was a -12 in 35 minutes in the loss.

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Kevin Durant will be holding down the four spot for the Suns. Though he has typically played wing in his career, the Suns are playing a brand position-less basketball on offense, as the NBA has gone in this direction in general. One of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen, Durant, in his 17th season, is still the primary scoring threat for Phoenix alongside Booker and will require extra attention on the defensive end by the Mavericks. If Durant gets hot, this could be a much different game than if they are able to contain him.

At center is Jusuf Nurkic, who struggled mightily against the Lakers and Anthony Davis last night, going 1-for-5 for four points and a -19 on the game. Attacking the paint could be an area for the Mavericks to take advantage of the Suns, as their rim protection isn't as stout as Phoenix would like it to be. This could leave room for Doncic and Irving to attack the basket. If Phoenix has Nurkic creep up to try and defend the ball handlers, it leaves room for the guards to throw lobs to Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.

Overall, the Suns are a much better team than San Antonio, against whom the Mavericks opened their season. Still, they have exploitable weaknesses that Dallas can take advantage of, specifically in the paint, where they have a clear advantage in personnel. If the Mavs can limit the potent scoring threats of Durant and Booker, and to an extent, Beal, they should be able to get their second win in as many games to begin their 2024 campaign.

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