What Are Phoenix Suns' Biggest Strengths?

The 2024-25 Suns honed in on some major strengths from last season.

Suns guard Bradley Beal jokes at the end of practice during practice at the Verizon 5G Performance Center in Phoenix on Oct. 1, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are now entering arguably the most crucial season in franchise history just months after being swept in the first round of the playoffs.

This offseason was largely successful - with many moves being made to reinforce previous strengths on the roster, there are aspects of this team that will be conspicuously improved as well.

Three of the major strengths of this year's squad:

Depth

Apr 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) passes against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter during game two of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

This could potentially be the most slept on aspect of the squad going into the season - the clearest strength of the roster is obviously the star power, but there has to be proper infrastructure around the high-end talent.

While many big swings were taken in the 2023 offseason, they were largely on early-prime players with little-proven track records - the majority of them obviously didn't work out.

Let's take a look at the top five bench players going into last season versus this season:

Beginning of 2023-24 Bench: Jordan Goodwin, Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie, Keita Bates-Diop, Drew Eubanks

Beginning of 2024-25 Bench: Monte Morris, Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, Bol Bol, Mason Plumlee

This is an absolute night-and-day difference - Morris is one of the safest players with the ball in his hands across the NBA while serving as a quality stationary shooter. Allen has been relagated to a sixth-man role and is more equipped to be consistent than Gordon at this stage. O'Neale is entering his first full season in Phoenix after being a welcome addition in February. Bol will almost surely have a more consistent role that brings out the best in him. Plumlee is a clear, if unspectacular, upgrade over Eubanks - at least you know what the former L.A. Clipper brings to the table on a game-to-game basis.

Beyond that, the assumed 11-14 rotational players all bring something unique to the table as well - Damion Lee is a phenomenal sharpshooter. Oso Ighodaro/Ryan Dunn are great athletes and possess great upside. Okogie brings physicality, sharp off-ball awareness, and rebounding to the table.

The 2024-25 bench will compliment the core much better compared to the previous season - and it should contribute to weathering the storms that are bound to come in the regular more seamlessly.

Three-Point Shooting

Suns guard Tyus Jones speaks to the media during practice at the Verizon 5G Performance Center in Phoenix on Oct. 1, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This has been a strength of the franchise for some time - and it finally feels like a proper dosage of volume will come with consistency.

First-year head coach Mike Budenholzer has been a consistent proponent of the "modern-day" approach to offense - that three-point looks and shots at the rim is the most effective shot selections in basketball at this stage.

That isn't to say that the mid-range game will be completely done away with, but it's pretty clear that it is a necessity for the Suns to get up roughly 40 threes a game to have a chance to be legitimate contenders.

There have only been three champions in the last decade that failed to rank in the top half of three-point attempts per game in the regular season - the 22-23 Denver Nuggets, 19-20 Los Angeles Lakers and 17-18 Golden State Warriors.

The ability to shoot proficiently at a solid volume is undeniably there - as seven returning Suns shot above league average in the last season they played (including Lee) - and the additions of Morris/Jones give the squad 8 competent shooters at the very least.

The moral of the story? Build up a consistent diet of long-range shots and we'll likely be looking at a team that improves the win total from 49 last season to the mid-50's this campaign.

Stability

Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer speaks to the media during practice at the Verizon 5G Performance Center in Phoenix on Oct. 1, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The fatal flaw last season - of a much-flawed team - was the lack of stability and direction, whether it was from the coaching staff or just the general lack of cohesion between the players.

That looks to be completely different heading into the new season - between how Media Day went, how the newly shaped roster looked through day one of training camp - and everything in between - this feels like a completely new squad.

Budenholzer is the epitome of consistency as a regular season coach. Jones/Morris will help stabilize an offense that was wildly erratic in late-game situations last season. Banking on a second full season of continuity for the "core" roster - with Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen both appearing to be all-in this season - should pay off big time.

Watch out for the Suns this season - this squad could be what many anticipated this time last year.