New Suns Coach Addresses Point Guard Talk

Mike Budenholzer says the Phoenix Suns need to learn how to play with and without one.

May 17, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Mike Budenholzer speaks during a press conference to announce his / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- There's plenty of issues new Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer needs to tackle, though point guard discussion has been fairly prominent in the Valley since the season ended.

“The conversations have been great and there’s no doubt we have to look at the whole roster and talk about point guard,” Budenholzer told reporters in a scrum following his press conference on Friday.

“I’m sure it’s a hot button here, whether it’s with you guys, the media, the players, front office. We need to think about it. We need to be able to play without one. We probably need to have one.

“We need to be versatile. We need to play different ways: bigger, smaller. I think the point guard position has a place.”

The Suns traded Chris Paul last offseason and relied on a backcourt of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

When the dust settled, Arizona was near the top of the league in turnovers per game.

“I think the team could benefit from having a point guard,” Suns GM James Jones said earlier in the offseason.

“I believe the team could benefit from having backup forwards, backup centers. I still always go back to your best players on the floor. That’s a narrative we’ll hear a lot, point guard, point guard. Sure, that’s great. Who do you want? Who is available given the way we’re built? Who can fit with this group? Whose game seamlessly fits with this group and when you put that player on the floor and you take the ball out of someone’s hands, whose hands are you taking it out of and who are putting in that position?”

We'll see if roster construction changes over the course of the next few months.