Inside The Suns

How Suns Can Maximize Stars, Top Role Players

The Suns have a better coaching situation this season - here's how much better it can be?

Kevin Hicks

Jan 24, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) celebrates with Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) celebrates with Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
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PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are just weeks away from ushering in the beginning stages of the 2024-25 season - and coach Mike Budenholzer has been on the job just over two months.

Many have hailed the hire as a marked improvement over previous head coach Frank Vogel - both are former champions with impressive track records, but Budenholzer's consistency in holding accountability coupled with his acumen to lead strong offenses made him a more seamless fit with the franchise.

When it comes down to it, what can Budenholzer actually do to maximize his talented roster - specifically the assumed top eight members of the rotation?

“I think there’s a lot of focus on how many 3s [we are taking], but hopefully we’re having the best of everything.” “If you’re an efficient offense, you’re getting to the basket. You’re getting to the paint. You’re getting to the free-throw line. And you’re shooting a bunch of 3s.”

- Budenholzer to The Athletic, 2019

Bradley Beal

Beal is the player that will inherently lose touches that he'd usually have due to being the third wheel on a squad built around two superstars.

That shouldn't render him ineffective, however.

Beal still frequently grades out extremely well in terms of playmaking metrics, and he should come into the season as the primary point guard.

Beal graciously sacrificed much and became an all-around threat, but he truly needs to play more of a Malcolm Brogdon-esque role in Budenholzer's offense - spot-up shooting, occasional use of the dribble and timing to get to the rim, and reasonably facilitating the offense in a non-traditional fashion.

Devin Booker

Booker is much, much better than Khris Middleton. This isn't a suggestion to that case in any way.

But at this point, it's reasonable to believe that Booker is at his absolute apex when he can focus on operating as on off-ball monster - which in turn opens up everything else.

The video above is a simple, yet mercilessly effective play that Budenholzer ran for Middleton in Milwaukee.

This exact same action could be run by Kevin Durant in the point spot, Nurkic on the block, and Booker in the shooter's spot.

Booker is simply deadly off ball - one of the three best in the league without the ball in his hands - and letting him thrive off of what he does best will reasonably lead to a more consistent season much more akin to the 2022-23 version of the Suns' superstar.

Kevin Durant

Durant's best path forward is being utilized in a late-career Dirk Nowitzki manner.

Nowitzki famously was able to lead the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA title in 2011 while playing a different role compared to what he had been accustomed to.

Nowitzki remained the best player on the team despite sacrificing shot volume and time with the ball in his hands.

In the above video, Nowitzki turned a heavily off-ball role to his advantage - making the most of quick actions off of the dribble, hitting threes off of elevator screens, and utilizing his gravity to create looks for others.

Durant should be utilized a lot like this - he has proven time and time again that he can still be ridiculously effective in a more off-ball role.

He can still be the best player on a title team while also taking on a different form in the later years of his career.

Grayson Allen

Allen just enjoyed his best season as a pro in the much-maligned offensive system in 2023-24 that was spearheaded by former Suns assistant Kevin Young.

He certainly took advantage of the gravity that Booker and Durant provided, but he was also sneaky good at putting the ball on the floor.

He should very clearly be the 4th scoring option in the Suns' offense - and could be in a better position to make a consistent impact under coach Budenholzer in Phoenix compared to Milwaukee.

Allen can score in a myriad off ways - off of elevator screens, acting as a stationary shooter, utilizing his unheralded quick first step to get in the lane - which in turn creates more opportunities to create offense.

He truly is one of the more underrated all-around offensive players in the game. He should be used as a jack-of-all-trades third guard that can score, playmaker, and defend in a variety of ways that can lead the Suns to more regular season consistency this time around.

Jusuf Nurkic

Nurkic is possibly the most tricky player to figure out in this system.

Nurkic's most marked weakness is as a finisher and it is difficult to compare him to any big man that Budenholzer has worked with.

Unless his three-point shot can be tapped into once again.

He did shoot 36.1 and 40% from three-point range in two of his last three seasons as the Blazers' starting center (albeit in low volume).

If Nurkic can shoot the three in a respectable fashion with a decent enough volume, it opens up so many avenues for him as a playmaker on the high block. It makes him a pick-and-pop threat. It might make life easier at the rim.

Nurkic has the ability to be Brook Lopez-esque with the right coaching and rediscovering his three-point touch this season.

Bol Bol

Bol might be the cleanest fit into what coach Budenholzer wants to do with this team, save perhaps for Durant.

Bol's length, ability off the dribble, and 42.3% mark from three make him a clear parallel to what Budenholzer had with Milwaukee in Bobby Portis Jr.

This isn't to say Bol will be as good as the sixth-man of the year candidate, but he has the talent to be a consistent contributor as a spot-up shooter, pick-and-pop man, along with various other areas such as being a tertiary creator off of the bench.

Royce O'Neale and Monte Morris are vital pieces to this team as well, but the roles they will entail on offense are quite cut and dry.

O'Neale will be expected to be a stationary shooter that acts as a connective tissue of sorts for the offense, much like he did as a member of the Utah Jazz.

Morris will be expected to be a low-volume, high impact floor general that racks up assists in short order without the careless decisions that typically come with the gig. He will also be another stationary shooter that will hopefully space defenses out like the bench unit failed to do last offseason.

Going into the season, it is totally conceivable that every player currently on the roster will make an impact at various points - Damion Lee could be a valid response to losing Eric Gordon, for example, but these are the players that are the most consequential in terms of being a true contender and an early playoff exit.

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Kevin Hicks

KEVIN HICKS

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