How Suns' Star Trio Stacks Against NBA's Best

The Phoenix Suns' big three isn't seen in a great light.

Jan 8, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and guard Bradley Beal (3) and forward Kevin Durant (35) stands on the floor during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- Much has been made about the success (or lack thereof) of the "big three" the Phoenix Suns decided to assemble last summer.

The acquisition of Kevin Durant next to Devin Booker on top of an already contending roster was initially thought to be enough to win a championship, but governor Mat Ishbia thought different after a second-round exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets two seasons ago.

In came Bradley Beal.

The Suns were able to pull off a trade for the longtime Washington Wizards star - the move was received in a mixed fashion, but the trio that was formed was seen as the best in the league regardless.

Not any longer.

Following a disappointing season that notably ended in a first round playoff sweep, the Suns have been as under-the-radar as a contender for the first time since the bubble in July 2020.

Bleacher Report NBA writer Dan Favale echoed those sentiments, as he ranked the Suns' big three as only the eighth best in the league with the following reasoning:

"Booker's passing remains underrated, but the Suns clearly missed having a more conventional offensive organizer last year. Even the apex of Beal's on-ball playmaking wasn't enough to cover it up.

"Durant's age only complicates matters. He's going into his age-36 season, and while he's still inarguably a megastar, we've seen him fail to hit that extra gear when opposing defenses key in on him. Playing him fewer minutes might help improve his performance against multiple bodies, but Phoenix isn't built to take responsibility off his plate.

"Let's not gloss over Beal's availability, either. He has missed fewer than 25 games just once over the past decade. To what end that's distorted by a handful of late-season Washington Wizards shenanigans is debatable. But it matters. Especially after back, ankle and hamstring issues limited him to 53 appearances last season.

"Even if we presume these three are fully available, putting them much higher isn't a given. This Big Three tilts too far toward the offensive end of the spectrum, perhaps not enough to be considered one-way, but it's pretty darn close. There's also no guarantee the pinnacle of their offensive chemistry is infallible. Collectively, they don't generate enough rim pressure or launch enough threes—a math problem that could bite them in the highest-stakes moments."

- Favale on Phoenix

The Suns' trio went from widely viewed as the best in basketball to pacing behind Cleveland (Mitchell, Garland, Mobley), Memphis (Morant, Bane, Jackson Jr.), Minnesota (Edwards, Gobert, Towns), Oklahoma City (Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Holmgren), Milwaukee (Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Middleton), Philadelphia (Embiid, Maxey, George), and Boston (Tatum, Brown, Holiday/White).

That is an extensive list of trios that Favale feel are superior to Phoenix - and while the general premise around the lack of respect surrounding the Suns remain valid, it feels as if too much stock is being put into Durant's lack of health from several years ago.

Booker and Durant both remain superstars in this league - only one of the aformentioned squads can possibly boast that themselves. While Beal could also seem like a liability, there were flashes of the 30 PPG scorer fans grew to love over a decade-plus in the NBA.

This isn't a collection of talent that should be given up on. Coach Budenholzer should be able to unlock a different level of this offense, particularly of the star players.