The 2024-25 NBA regular season is around nine weeks away from officially commencing – and now is a great time to project what the upcoming rendition of the Phoenix Suns will look like.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report played a helping hand in projecting the potency of the Suns’ offense, believing that they will rank as the 4th best scoring team in the NBA this season.
Swartz had three major reasonings behind the ranking following Phoenix’s disappointing finish of 10th in offensive rating last season – those reasons are the point guard additions, the supporting cast of shooters, and the fresh voice in the locker room in head coach Mike Budenholzer.
For a team that features three of the best offensive players in the world in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradey Beal, these numbers should have been higher and now will be with the additions of Jones and Monte Morris.
Jones had a historically efficient season with the Washington Wizards last year, becoming the first player in the NBA to ever record an assist percentage higher than 34 percent while registering a turnover rate under nine percent. Jones’ 7.3 assists per game ranked 12th in the league while his 1.0 turnovers a contest finished tied for 203rd.
Morris recorded just seven total turnovers in 33 games between the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves, compared to 69 total assists.Swartz on PG aquisitions
The lack of a pure point guard was seen as a frequent fatal flaw in the roster last season – and the hope is that it was rectified by bringing in two of the most efficienct floor generals in the NBA – particularly what could be considered the best value signing of the offseason in Jones.
The additions should lead to more consistent fourth quarter showings and a drastic improvement in assist-to-turnover ratio.
As for Budenholzer, the two-time coach of the year should have a much more pointed philosophy that leads to more success over the grind of a full season.
New head coach Mike Budenholzer consistently ran some of the best offenses in the NBA during his five seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, with scoring attacks that ranked 4th, 8th, 6th, 7th and 12th overall.Swartz on Budenholzer
You can read here to get a more expansive look at what Budenholzer has done over his career as a head coach on the offensive side of the ball, but to put it concisely, he pushes pace, three-point volume, and motion – those are three things this particular set of personnel can be exemplary at.
Lastly, the supporting spacing and returning talent could fit much better around the big three this time around:
Durant, Booker and Beal are still a three-headed offensive monster and role players like Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkić and Royce O’Neale can all hit shots and/or pass at a high level for their position.
Damion Lee is also back from a year-long injury and shot 44.5 percent from three for the Suns during the 2022-23 season.Swartz on the supporting cast
O’Neale, Allen, and Lee are crucial as returning sharpshooters – as all three have flashed brilliance as stationary three-point threats at various points over their tenures with the Suns.
Nurkic might be the single most vital piece to the Suns’ offense being elite this season, as the big man could reinvent himself as a floor-spacer this season after struggling in that role with brief volume last season.
If Nurkic can be a threat at the high block and even the three-point line, this is absolutely one of the most well-rounded, even potent, offenses in the NBA.