Analyst: Suns Will Be Better Than You Think

The Phoenix Suns will exceed expectations this season.

Apr 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half during game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns approach the 2024-25 season with massive hopes of exceeding both their win total from the previous regular season (49) and ultimate postseason finish (first-round exit).

The pieces are certainly there to do so.

Names such as Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are stars in Phoenix's constellation of talent that also includes Tyus Jones, Jusuf Nurkic, Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen.

The talent also is guided by first-year head coach Mike Budenholzer, who has an established track record of winning through his NBA stint - most notably his victory over Phoenix in the 2021 NBA Finals.

The Suns fell massively short of their championship expectations under Frank Vogel - can Budenholzer get Phoenix to live up to the hype?

The Athletic certainly thinks so - picking the Suns as one of a handful of teams who will exceed expectations this year:

John Hollinger explained his reasoning:

"Yes, it’s easy to be pessimistic about the Suns’ future after they traded every draft pick that wasn’t nailed down to go all-in on an old team without a top-five player in the league. It is much harder, however, to be pessimistic about the Suns’ present. Phoenix won 49 games last year despite getting just 53 games from Bradley Beal and having neither a point guard nor a bench. While there is some age risk with Kevin Durant being 36 and Beal 31, the other indicators for this team mostly point northward," he wrote.

"The play of Durant and Devin Booker in the Olympics was one positive sign that they can still bring it at a high level, but it’s the rest of the roster where the real gains were made. Phoenix filled its glaring void at point guard by somehow netting Tyus Jones on a minimum deal and fortified behind him with Monte Morris. The Suns also upgraded the backup center spot with Mason Plumlee after Drew Eubanks underwhelmed a year ago and will have a full season of 3-and-D wing Royce O’Neale in the wing rotation. While it’s true the lack of draft equity and the collective bargaining agreement’s second apron will combine to make in-season additions virtually impossible, the current roster looks pretty good.

"On the sideline, the departed Frank Vogel was a good coach, but Mike Budenholzer’s track record is exceptional when it becomes to boosting a team’s regular-season win total. In the playoffs … maybe not so much. But again, that’s not the assignment today. Even in a packed Western Conference with perhaps a dozen playoff-caliber teams, I like the Suns to beat 47 wins with room to spare."

Hollinger hits the nail on the head - there's been so much made about the future of the Suns and what may/may not happen, though owner Mat Ishbia has been crystal clear since taking over the organization: Phoenix is in the business of winning now.

The Suns may not be favored to push their way through a tough Western Conference, though Phoenix could very well be the team so many projected them to be with a strong mix of star power and proper coaching.