Reacting to Suns' Early Preseason Play

The Suns have already given us a lot to dissect after one preseason game.

Oct 6, 2024; Palm Desert, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) moves the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Acrisure Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images / David Frerker-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are now getting geared up for a second contest of a 5-game preseason slate against the Detroit Pistons after starting the ramp-up with a 1-0 record.

Small sample sizes tend to yield overreactions in any sport, under any circumstance, and the result last night - a 118-114 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers - is no different.

Some of the overreactions have credence - and some don't quite - we will explore some of the most prominent ones ahead.

Suns Will Be Top-6 Seed: Not an Overreaction

There has been much discourse surrounding where the Suns can/will finish this season following a 49-win campaign that resulted in the number six seed in the West.

The train of thought surrounding the Suns' regular season seeding fate tends to go in one of two directions - that Phoenix remains among the most talented teams in the league - but uncertainty surrounding collective roster health and the perceived improvement of the conference as a whole will result in a play-in berth. The other is that the combination of a new, improved coaching staff, roster construction tweaks, and continuity will lead to a much better output this season.

Recent historic precedence, trends in the career of Mike Budenholzer, and the sheer top-end talent of this squad tend to point to the latter.

Expect this squad to be in the ballpark of 53-56 victories and in firm contention to earn home-court advantage in the first round of the West playoffs.

Suns Will Run 12-Man Rotation: Overreaction

The enthusiasm about the depth of this roster has been palpable in the aftermath of four reserves reaching double figure scoring totals last night - along with many encouraging defensive showings - and even moments of floor-spacing from both Josh Okogie and rookie Ryan Dunn.

This raises the question if coach Budenholzer could really find sustainability if he opts to settle on a consistent 12-man lineup during the regular season.

The answer is likely no - as the best teams tend to figure out the best lineups and roll with them over the course of the season.

This isn't to say that valuable role players such as Damion Lee - or even a two-way talent in Collin Gillespie - couldn't crack the rotation in select games. Injury variance, matchups, and other factors will always be prevelant over the course of an 82-game season, so it is very likely that select games will feature a break from established order.

However, expect Budenholzer to discover and subsequently stick with a 10-man rotation from fairly early in the season on.

Oso Ighodaro Will Factor Into Suns Rotation: Overreaction, For Now

The Suns rookie thoroughly impressed in his NBA debut, showcasing game-breaking athleticism, a strong feel for the game - particularly as a roll man, and the ability to develop into an enforcer at the rim in due time.

While he does appear to be quite pro-ready at this current juncture, it's also apparent that Mason Plumlee is currently entrenched in the backup C job. That isn't to say Ighodaro won't have chances to usurp the vet - he certainly will.

The belief here is that the Marquette product will eventually take over the gig - and could be in play to be the C of the future - but the timing is ultimately uncertain.