Instant Analysis: New-Look Suns Prove They're Ready To Contend In Solid Performance Without Starters

The Phoenix Suns are one of the hardest teams to predict success for in the 2024-25 season. While the offensive talent of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal is unquestionable, many concerns about the solidity of the roster plague the top-heavy franchise. They made smart moves this summer to reinforce their depth which paid off in their 118-114 preseason win against a full-strength Denver Nuggets. 

The Suns were without Durant, Booker, Beal, Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, and Tyus Jones, with five of these players expected to form their starting lineup for the 2024-25 season, with the sixth name likely being tasked as the sixth man. This gave the rest of their rotational players a chance to shine against the Nuggets. 

Let's take a look at some of the key observations from this matchup and how it bodes for the Suns as we inch closer to the season.

Ryan Dunn Could Be The Perfect Draft Pick

The Suns traded down from the 22nd pick in the NBA Draft by making a trade with the Nuggets which allowed them to select Ryan Dunn out of the University of Virginia at No. 28. Dunn averaged 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.3 blocks in the NCAA and entered the 2024 NBA Draft as one of the best ready-made defensive players in the class.

Dunn is an absolute defensive menace who used this preseason game to show he has the offensive flashes required to be an elite NBA contributor. He put up 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three blocks in 29 minutes of action against Denver, making a massive impact as a two-way terror. 

Dunn looked comfortable guarding the likes of Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook, showing that he can even switch onto frontcourt players such as Michael Porter Jr. without much trouble. His biggest concern will be consistent offense at the NBA level, but he might already be the best perimeter defender on the Suns. 

He will be getting heavy minutes this season and is a contender to break into the starting lineup as a multi-positional defender, showing the Suns found tremendous value in a late first-round pick in what many considered to be a weak draft.

Monte Morris Adds Even More Offensive Firepower

The Monte Morris pickup for the Suns seemed to be overkill for many in terms of the Suns having scoring guards on their team. But Morris will be a crucial option behind Booker and Beal as a bench scorer, with guards like Tyus Jones on the roster not specializing in being a microwave scorer. Morris averaged 5.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists last season with the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The veteran point guard likely won't get a lot of room to make an impact on the court, but he can be used in any lineup without Booker and Beal to ensure there's a ball-handling scorer ready to shoulder the load. Given the injury struggles Beal had last season, a player like Morris being ready and available will create some comfort in letting Beal or Booker rest upon injury instead of rushing them back.

Morris showed the versatility of his scoring prowess in this 20-point outing against the Nuggets, also dropping seven dimes in an efficient 7-12 shooting performance, from which he went 4-7 on 3-point attempts. 

If he can even provide half this production off the bench with the starters in the lineup, the Suns will be a hard team to outscore for anyone,

Mike Budenholzer Has Revitalized The Franchise

The Suns fired Frank Vogel this offseason, revitalizing their coaching situation by bringing in former Milwaukee Bucks championship-winning head coach Mike Budenholzer to run the team.

Vogel was a phenomenal coach but is reliant on having specific defensive personnel on his roster to maximize results, something he didn't get with the Suns. Budenholzer turned the Bucks into a perennial contender and maximized what he could get from players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, alongside the entire rotation which led to their triumph in the 2021 NBA Finals. 

Budenholzer's experience with building a contender with the Atlanta Hawks also shows his relative versatility as a coach compared to Vogel. He has an entirely new makeup with his roster on the Suns, but he's managed to create a strong defensive mentality through three preseason games that the rotational players have bought into.

Royce O'Neale put up 17 points on 6-9 shooting in this game while also being one of the most aggressive defenders on the court. The aforementioned Ryan Dunn is already a motivated defender and even players like Bol Bol played with effort on that end. Simultaneously, Budenholzer's offense looks distinctly more fast-paced and intentioned than the Vogel offense which relied on its stars to create offense.

The structure the Suns used against the Nuggets to get a win today won't work when the starters are back, but the identity they showed is easily replicable. Coach Budenholzer is known for elevating teams and it seems like he's already doing that for the Suns.