Inside The Suns

Questions Every Member of Suns' Big Three Must Answer

Although the Phoenix Suns possess one of the best top-end rosters in the NBA, the team's three stars still have significant pressure to answer critics this season.

Kevin Hicks

Questions Every Member of Suns' Big Three Must Answer
Questions Every Member of Suns' Big Three Must Answer /
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The NBA season is less than two months from tipping off, and the Phoenix Suns are now ramping up their efforts to prepare for what may truly be the biggest season in franchise history. 

The acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in recent months under the tutelage of new governor/owner Mat Ishbia has raised expectations to a completely new level. Phoenix now boasts two potential top-10 players, and another who averaged 30 points a contest just two seasons ago in Washington.

General manager James Jones also attacked the bargain bin and did as good of a job as humanly possible to add a versatile group of players that will likely compliment the stars on a game-to-game basis in free agency.

Despite all of this, Durant, Booker, and Beal all have serious questions/critiques surrounding them coming into a year that's considered championship or bust. 

Here's one question each must answer in 2023-24:

Suns Big Three

Kevin Durant- Can He Stay Healthy?

Durant is still a superstar in this league at 34 years of age. He can score efficiently at all three levels, and is as devastating a scorer as anyone else in the game. However, the most pressing questions surrounding him are the volume of shots he takes in the paint at this stage of his career and the myriad of injuries the forward has dealt with since 2019.

Although Durant's regular season sample as a member of the Suns is only eight games, he only attempted a measly four percent of shots at the rim, and his average distance of field goals came at nearly 17 feet out. 

Many have speculated that Durant doesn't attack the rim at the rate he used to due to the Achilles injury the future Hall of Famer sustained during his time with the Golden State Warriors. This theory ties directly into the health factor. 

Durant has played less games since the 2019-20 season than Anthony Davis and missed three weeks in March after a sprained ankle before the Suns tipped off against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The slim reaper has come back just as good as before the Achilles injury, but the best ability is availability - and Durant being durable is paramount to the ceiling of this rendition of Suns basketball. 

Devin Booker- Will He Perform in Elimination Games?

Devin Booker is entering his ninth NBA season, and still appears to be improving even though the shooting guard is a seasoned vet at this stage. The three-time All Star has as polished of an all-around game as about anyone in the Association and has very few noticeable flaws. 

The main point of criticism for Booker is the well-documented struggles in elimination games thus far throughout his 43-game playoff sample. A viral post recently pointed out that Clippers' center Mason Plumlee (20 points) has a better career-high point total in elimination games than Booker (19), a player that is starting to become consensus top 10 in the league. 

Regardless if Booker's struggles in big games are due to opponents' game planning, fatigue, injuries, or anything else, Booker has consistently been one of the more clutch players in the game throughout his career, and he must show up in these potential games down the road to shake the narrative and finally lead the Suns to their first championship.

Bradley Beal- How Will He Integrate Himself?

Beal was traded to Phoenix in July after 11 seasons with the Washington Wizards. The new role Beal will inherit in Phoenix is unlike anything he's been asked to do since very early in his career - be a clear third option. 

Beal was the Wizards' second option for many seasons, co-starring with John Wall and became the effective first option once Wall's injuries started piling up.

What Beal accomplished as a primary scorer was quite impressive in a lackluster situation in D.C., but being a clear third option in an offensive system that will almost certainly be equitable and chock-full of elite bucket-getting, which will quite possibly help boost the guard's overall efficiency. 

The Florida product will also have a bigger playmaking responsibility coming into the season, and his overall playmaking prowess appeared to be promising in a smaller sample the last two seasons with the Wizards. 

This transition to being a third option will hopefully be as seamless as possible, but there's sure to be at least a little bit of a gelling phase early in the season. 

If Beal can boost his efficiency and prove to be a serviceable defender/playmaker, he will likely be the best third option in basketball while also being a key cog in the Suns' playoff aspirations. 

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Kevin Hicks
KEVIN HICKS

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