5 Takeaways from the Suns’ 5 Preseason Games

The Phoenix Suns wrapped up their 2024-25 NBA Preseason schedule on Thursday night in the Footprint Center.

The NBA season is finally here. Phoenix Suns basketball is back after what felt like an eternity of waiting this offseason.

The Suns completed five preseason games and tip off their 2024-25 season on the road against the Clippers on Wednesday night. They finished the preseason with a 3-2 record.

Here’s what we learned from those games and how they could apply to the regular season.

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1) Health: Mostly Good

The Suns enter the regular season with a relatively healthy roster. Sure, they are banged up here and there, but overall they are in great shape compared to some of their peers. That is the most important facet of the preseason, and they get an A in that department.

Now it’s about maintaining that status throughout the year. Here are the injuries they’ve dealt with early on to keep an eye on:

• Jusuf Nurkic — Middle Finger (Cleared)
• Devin Booker — Ankle Soreness (Cleared)
• Grayson Allen — Achillies (Day-to-day)
• Josh Okogie — Hamstring (Day-to-day)

Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images

2) Rotation: Still Settling

The full rotation has yet to play with one another with the absence of Nurkic, Booker, Allen, and others throughout the preseason. Coach Bud hinted at the rotations he is favoring with some substitution patterns, but it remains to be seen exactly how deep he will go into the rotation on a nightly basis. Bol Bol could be the odd man out in a full-strength rotation with the strong preseason from rookie Ryan Dunn.

In limited minutes, here’s the breakdown of the Suns’ leaders in PPG:

And here is a look at the Suns’ preseason 3PT% leaders:

• Tyus Jones: 61.5% (8/13)
• Jusuf Nurkic: 50.0% (2/4)
• Ryan Dunn: 43.4% (13/30)
• Collin Gillespie: 42.9% (6/14)
• Bol Bol: 41.7% (5/12)
• Monte Morris: 40.0% (6/15)
• Kevin Durant: 38.9% (7/18)

What stood out to me was the consistent attempts in threes each game. They let it fly 220 times (44 attempts per game!) and connected on 78 of them, good for a 35.5% three-point percentage as a team.

3) Rookie Report: Strong First Impression

The rookies have exceeded expectations in preseason, with both Dunn and Ighodaro looking ahead of the curve. Oso may have to wait patiently to crack the rotation, but with Dunn’s strong shooting, he should be a fixture early and often from day one.

• Ryan Dunn — 112 minutes played: 9.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 1.2 SPG on 39.5% shooting
• Oso Ighodaro — 122 minutes played: 5.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.2 BPG on 56% shooting

Jalen Bridges had a disappointing preseason, going 1 for 18 from the field in 38 minutes. 14 of those attempts were threes and he only connected on one of them. He will likely spend some time developing with the Valley Suns in Tempe.

In the meantime, Phoenix has a pair of rookies who look like they will be able to contribute from day one.

Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images

4) Collin Gillespie: Deserves a Shot

Collin Gillespie had himself a strong preseason, confirming he belongs in the NBA as a high-IQ backup point guard.

He averaged 9.0 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game with 52/43/84 shooting splits. While these numbers are great in limited minutes, it’s more about the eye test here. His handle is excellent and he made some great reads that didn’t necessarily always turn into assists. You know, typical preseason stuff. The looks he generated were intriguing and the poise he played with was impressive.

While he is behind Tyus Jones and Monte Morris on the depth chart, his performance certainly puts him on the map should an injury or foul trouble occur. Phoenix is in a great spot with point guard depth after not having one a season ago.

Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images

5) Ball Movement: Crisp

Phoenix has quickly developed chemistry and an identity in the preseason that has stood out. While it’s impossible to take too much away from these games, they made it clear that moving the ball was a point of emphasis. Tyus Jones’s presence has been felt immediately.

After a season filled with plenty of stagnant offense and iso ball, Phoenix emphasized playing fast and sharing the ball. The starters/key bench players had limited minutes together, but they made the most of their time together. I love the staggering of Beal with the second unit and using him as a screener (seen below).

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Suns had 149 assists to 76 turnovers, good for a 1.90 AST: TO ratio in five games.