Our writing team has gathered to make their predictions for the upcoming season.
Yesterday, we were predicting award outcomes for the 2024-25 NBA season. Today? Ohhh, today we’re getting into the good stuff. Today, we’re talking Phoenix Suns.
The last time we watched this team play, we were left with countless questions. Where should they improve their roster? Can they improve their roster? How did they get swept out of the playoffs, especially with such talented top-end players?
A summer has passed, and we once again are gearing up for a season. We still have questions, but now we are doing our best to answer some of those questions and put together the story that will be the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns. How talented are they? Did they fix their issues? How far can they go? What trades will happen and/or need to happen?
All of these questions will be answered by way of the Bright Side writing staff’s predictions.
What Suns player do you think will surprise us this season?
SunsRealityCheck: I think that the surprise player of the season will be none other than Mason Plumlee. I feel like his signing was looked at with a bit of a collective shrug and that the angst and ire directed toward Nurk has distracted many Suns fans from his potential impact. You’d be forgiven if you never watched Plumlee play while he was on the Hornets, but people forget that he was a starter on that squad.
Being a starter on a bad team is no doubt Plumlee’s ceiling, but he was a solid addition for the Clippers at the deadline. Unfortunately, he had an injury-riddled season and a goofy free throw stroke, but he’s quietly one of the better-equipped backup centers in the game. I fully expect him to have us calling for him to start over Nurk within a week or two of the season starting because he fits a lot of what the Suns want to do at center and is better as a rim runner than Nurk.
He will be an adequate fill-in if Nurk is injured or in foul trouble, and I expect to hear a lot of fans saying, “Oh yeah. That Plumlee guy is alright”. And if you really want to get excited, pop in some Eubanks highlights and get excited that reinforcements are here at the center position.
Elbow Jumper: This is a great question to kick off things. I’ll gladly be surprised if Brad Beal hits us with a reinvented and rejuvenated come-back season and is “snubbed” with All-Star Team selections.
Or Nurkic. If his FG% around the basket climbs into the stratosphere this season, I will be very (happily) surprised.
Brandon Duenas: This is a rather tough question because the Suns have a lot of players that are either proven talent or known commodities in their specific role. I’ll go smaller here and roll with Monte Morris. He was widely considered the best backup point guard in the NBA for several years and had a bit of a down year riddled with injuries last season. He is due to bounce back and enter camp healthy with a chip on his shoulder.
He should fill the Eric Gordon role and then some. I’m very excited to have him and Tyus Jones leading the Suns’ offense. Bol Bol gets an honorable mention, as he has the “juice” to make an impactful leap.
Manny Loera: Since the team is full of vets, I will go with a rookie…Ryan Dunn. Get on the bandwagon early! Everyone thinks he can’t shoot and was miserable in the Summer League. He shot 34.4% overall and a brutal 7.7% from three. Ugh.
Hear me out. He was in KD’s lab this summer and was actually making buckets. What if the guy actually shoots anywhere from 30-35% from the three-point line and 70% from the free throw line (remember, he didn’t shoot well from the line either), with his defensive abilities, Dunn will be a rotational player. Dunn will surprise us this season.
SirHammo: I am looking towards a big year from Nurk. He has shed some weight and is looking trim and fit. He has been working on his perimeter shooting and could be a whole different player this season.
Rod Argent: I really think that Brad Beal will get back into his former All-Star form and have a big impact this year, averaging at least 25 ppg.
John Voita: Well, how do you define “surprise”? Because I have a surprise for you: Bradley Beal. Everyone is so down on him, despite him having a solid year as the tierary option on the team. Only Kristaps Porzingus and CJ McCollum averaged more points per game as a third option on a team. I understand the frustration with his contract, and as the resident “price-for-value-paid” guy on staff, he falls short in that realm. But he’s still damn good.
And given that this team needs leadership, I think the “surprise” comes in the form of leadership. Beal was becoming more comfortable as a vocal leader last year, and if he carries that comfortability over — hopefully in the form of accountability — the team will prosper.
Matthew Lissy: Devin Booker is about to step into a bigger role. Not as a player, but as a leader. He’ll be that silent but deadly force, holding the team accountable and making sure every game counts. We already know how he stuffs the box score, but this season, it’s his presence off the court that will make the real difference. He’s going to set the tone, leading by example and pushing everyone around him to elevate their game.
When the pressure hits, Booker will be the steady hand guiding the team through. This year, he’s not just playing to win—he’s making sure everyone around him is locked in, too.
How many All-NBA Team members will the Suns have, and who will they be?
SunsRealityCheck: I think the Suns will have two All-NBA players and they will once again be Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. However, I think that they will flip-flop, with Devin Booker making the second team and KD making the third team. With the Luka and SGA love fest we’re about to embark on, I don’t see them cracking the First Team, but Book is due for a big year to wash the taste of 2023-24 out of our collective mouths.
Elbow Jumper: The heart says 1 (Book—1st Team Selection), the head says 2 (Book and Durant), and the elbow says 3 (Book, Durant + Dunn for All-Rookie Team). O_o
Brandon Duenas: Two. Devin and Kevin. I truly hope they meet the qualifications of games played because that’s the only thing that holds them back from making it together. I believe this will be Book’s best season yet, and if he and Durant each appear in 65+ games, I expect them to finish as a top-3 seed in the deep West.
Manny Loera: Damn Elbow Jumper! 3: KD, Book, and Dunn (All-Rookie).
SirHammo: 2: Booker and Kevin Durant.
Rod Argent: Two, Booker and Durant. There’s so much talent in the NBA that prediction is only likely to happen if the team has a great season, though.
John Voita: I feel like two is the right answer here, as we witnessed it happen last season with Durant and Booker. If my other predictions are to come true, this will happen as a byproduct.
Matthew Lissy: I’ll take both Durant and Booker on the second team. For this team to succeed, there can’t be a first-teamer in sight. It’s about balance, not individual accolades, and if they play like a cohesive unit, that’s how they’ll go deep in the playoffs. The focus has to be on winning, not on who gets the spotlight.
Who is on the roster now that won’t be by the end of the season?
SunsRealityCheck: I think JO is a lock to be gone by the deadline, because we know other teams were interested, which was why his signing took longer than expected. This will be even more of a lock if Ryan Dunn hits the ground running as a rookie. The popular name will be Grayson Allen due to his contract, skill set, and overlapping skills with the roster. I believe this will only happen if you’re getting a fringe starter at the 4 who can hit threes. Ryan Dunn taking off will likely decrease the likelihood of Allen being traded.
Elbow Jumper: The low-hanging fruit pick is Josh Okogie—that contract has to point to a move coming at some stage. The guy I don’t want to see moved is Grayson Allen (don’t do that to me, Ishbia!).
However, I will pivot to this quirky idea: what if Bol Bol garners heaps of attention (during his break-out season!) and teams come calling with offers too good to refuse?
Brandon Duenas: Okogie will be the most common answer here, but I’ll go elsewhere and get (kinda) bold. Grayson Allen could end up the odd man out. The Suns have two reliable point guards to pair with Booker and Beal. Allen isn’t “expendable” by any means, but the Suns have needs to address and teams will likely want value back both instantly (Allen) and in draft capital.
Holden Sherman: Okogie. His contract is incredibly tradeable (intentionally so). Ryan Dunn is the Suns forward who plays good defense and can’t shoot. By getting rid of JO, the Valley can give themselves the best chance at adding more size on the roster.
Manny Loera: JO is the obvious answer but I going to say Royce O’Neale. In keeping with the Dunn love, his development will render Royce to a lesser role. Trading Royce will hopefully bring back either a young big, draft capital or both.
SirHammo: Okogie would be the obvious choice, although i have a bad feeling it may be Grayson Allen or even Nurk.
Rod Argent: Okogie’s contract was made to trade, but will anyone value him enough to make the Suns a good offer? I don’t think they’ll just give him away, but who knows what might happen at the deadline. I don’t want to see Grayson Allen traded, but if his shooting continues to impress this year, then the FO might get an offer that’s too good to turn down for him.
John Voita: Not much more to say. The Okogie contract is made to be traded. And it will be.
Matthew Lissy: Let’s go with Royce O’Neale, a player who could find himself out of the rotation halfway through the year. He’s shown flashes of potential, but with the depth of the roster, his minutes might dwindle if he doesn’t make a strong impact early on. If he wants to stick around, he’ll need to step up his game and prove he’s an essential piece of the puzzle. Otherwise, it could be a long season on the bench for him.
What hot take do you have for this season?
SunsRealityCheck: I think the Suns will make a lot of prognosticators look very foolish by the All-Star Break. Based on betting lines I think the Suns will have 55+ wins and be in the thick of the race for 2nd and 3rd seed. All three of the Big 3 will average over 20 points per game in Bud’s system.
Elbow Jumper: I give you ALL the hot takes: Suns finish 1st in the Pacific, and the 2024-25 season ends with a Suns vs. Knicks Final, with two weeks of celebrating all things former and current Suns players. And it will be the best June of our lives.
Brandon Duenas: The rookies disappoint us and don’t crack the rotation regularly. It’s not a knock on either of them, I just don’t think their impact will be made right away and with the Suns in “win-now” mode it’s tough to see them getting heavy minutes or multiple opportunities if they start slow. I still like each of them as long-term role players and think they stick in the league. I hope to be wrong here about their rookie seasons.
Manny Loera: I’m not really a hot-take guy, but I think Ryan Dunn will be starting before the end of the season. I think he will start in place of Tyus Jones. I think I am the only person who thinks we now have too many point guards?!
SirHammo: Jusuf Nurkić will have his best season yet! He will be in the Top 3 Centers in the league.
Rod Argent: After being the worst 4th quarter team in the league last year, the Suns turn into a top 10 4th quarter team this season.
John Voita: My hot take is that this team is being undervalued and underappreciated. But that’s too easy to say, so I’ll get a little bit hotter. I think that, by the time the season ends, the surprises continue around Bradley Beal. That he accepts a “leader of the bench” role, and it pays dividends for the betterment of the team.
I hear you when you say, “He’s not paid $50 million to sit on the bench”. And you’re right. But if Bud can gain his buy-in, showing that the reason he starts on the bench is to allow the team to get off to hot starts, it might just work. Beal can still average 30+ minutes as a non-starter. And he can finish games.
Matthew Lissy: Not to jump on John’s take, but I truly believe this team will succeed with Beal coming off the bench.
Where will the Suns OFFRTG and DEFRTG rank at the end of the year?
SunsRealityCheck: The Suns will rank 3rd in offense and 11th in defense. I believe reduction in live ball turnovers will allow a very good half court defense to get set more often and improve the transition defense. The offense will benefit from the other side of the turnover coin and improve their 3 point volume under Budenholzer.
Elbow Jumper: Oh, great question! I expect the Suns to rank top-5 (4th) offensively and top-10 defensively (9th).
Brandon Duenas: Here’s a hot take! The Suns finish 1st in offensive rating and put together one of their best offensive seasons in franchise history. The defense will have some moments, but overall, it disappoints and leaves room for improvement. I’m still concerned on that end. I’ll put them at 14 overall on defense.
Manny Loera: Coach Bud’s Bucks team finished in the top 8 offensively from the 2018-19 season to the 2021-22 season and had two years of being ranked #1 defensively. In his first year with the Bucks, they won 60 games and were first in both offense and defense. All that said I would expect a top-10 offense at a minimum and a top-15 defense (I don’t think we have the team to rank any higher than that).
SirHammo: The Suns will be ranked 3rd in offense (lots of scoring prowess this season), and they will finish 8th on the defense.
Rod Argent: Defense is going to be the Suns’ weak link but I think they still be in the top 10… barely. Offensively, I think Bud will get everyone in high gear this season and the Suns will be 2nd.
John Voita: For reference, this team ended last year 9th in OFFRTG and 13th in DEFRTG. Bet you didn’t think they ended that high, did you? I see and improved offense and defense incoming, finishing 5th in OFFRTG and 9th in DEFRTG this season.
Matthew Lissy: Their offense is projected to finish in the top 10 this year, likely between 6th and 8th, while their defense could rank as high as 8th. Booker will look to lead on both ends of the court, bringing a strong presence and revitalizing the team’s intensity on both sides of the ball. With his playmaking ability and scoring prowess, he’ll set the tone, ensuring the team thrives in high-pressure situations. This dual threat will be crucial for the team’s success and their ability to compete with the best in the league.
Who do you think is the biggest challenge in the Western Conference?
SunsRealityCheck: It pains me to say, but I have to go with the Mavericks. They’re the only team that has two certified killers. Minnesota swept us, but they don’t scare me at all, and I think the anointing of Ant is premature. OKC will have a better record but will have a target on their back all season and are still very young. We match up well with Denver, and our depth is more equipped to overwhelm the non-Jokic minutes than it was in the past.
Luka and Kyrie scare the hell out of me because either of them can cook you for 20 in a quarter, and it can be backbreaking. I want to avoid Dallas at all costs in the playoffs.
Elbow Jumper: I think much is to be said about the Suns’ traditional “rivals,” including Dallas and Golden State. We may need to add Minnesota to this group as our newest rival. At this point, every team is on the list (and Book is ready to take names, kick butt, and stand on business). However, I’m going out on a limb (an elbow?) here and will suggest a revamped and healthy Memphis team will take the Western Conference by storm, providing a massive challenge for Phoenix this year to avoid a dreaded 5th-9th seed.
Brandon Duenas: The Thunder are going to be a handful this season, and I love the Caruso addition there. Denver still has Joker, but the depth is questionable. Dallas is tough. Minnesota owns them until proven otherwise. That being said, the Suns’ biggest challenge will be…themselves.
Manny Loera: OKC is the best team in the West, and I believe they will make it to the Finals. They seem to have our number, too. The West is loaded, so you have to beat Denver, Minnesota, and Dallas. Don’t sleep on Memphis this year either.
SirHammo: At this stage, you are looking at the young team in OKC, the “What If?” in San Antonio, and the Mavs (Luka’s a Ho).
Rod Argent: OKC. They’ve got a lot of young talent plus they added Alex Caruso to their frontcourt and got Isaiah Hartenstein to add some muscle on the inside. Their biggest challenge this year might only be their own collective inexperience. Caruso is the most experienced guy on their team with just 7 years of NBA experience.
John Voita: Brandon is correct in saying, “themselves”. But from an external opponent standpoint, I’m going to say teams they are expected to beat. The Spurs. The Lakers. The Rockets. Last season, the Suns had a case of “play-to-the-level-of-your-competition-itus”, and against those three opponents alone, they went 5-8.
They’ll have their challenges against the heavyweights, but staying focused against the welterweights is where their true test will come. So yes, it’s themselves.
Matthew Lissy: I am very high on the Memphis Grizzlies and find their guard play, combined with their size, too much for the Suns. This depth and versatility give them a distinct advantage, allowing them to exploit mismatches on both ends of the floor. Given their defensive tenacity and ability to push the pace, it’s likely that they could sweep the Suns and run them off the court in several matchups.
The Grizzlies’ capacity to dominate the boards and control the tempo will put immense pressure on Phoenix, especially if they struggle to find a consistent offensive rhythm. Ultimately, this matchup could expose the Suns’ vulnerabilities and highlight Memphis as a formidable contender in the West.
Predict the final record for the Phoenix Suns and what seed in the Western Conference they will have.
SunsRealityCheck: You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts. 57 wins and the 2nd seed. We won 49 games last year. Each of the Big Three will win one just by going nuclear. That’s 52. Tyus Jones cures 3 just by not melting down in the 4th quarter. 55. Improved transition defense and threes gets you 2 more. 57.
Elbow Jumper: I think they get the third seed (behind OKC and Minnesota)—with 54 wins—beating out the Mavericks, Memphis, and Denver. If last season was anything to go by, the entire Western Conference will be a brutal slugfest. Rising to the top of the West will be like trying to nail Jello-O to a wall.
Brandon Duenas: 50 wins. And that will be good for the third seed in this economy. Home-court advantage should be the goal.
Holden Sherman: 52 wins, good for the fourth seed. The Suns weren’t as bad as everyone seems to think they were last year. While they did disappoint, they only went below their projected win total by a few games. Another year of the Big 3 together should help chemistry, Budenholzer should get the best out of the team on offense, and the continuity from a year ago should help them get off to a better start than a year before. It’s important to remember that the Suns still employ Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
Manny Loera: 52 wins and the 4th seed. West is going to be a beast.
SirHammo: 55 wins, coming in at 3rd seed in the Western Conference.
Rod Argent: I think 53-29 and the 4th seed.
John Voita: 53-29, good for the second seed in the Western Conference.
Matthew Lissy: Finishing with a record of 53-29, they secured the 5th seed in a fiercely competitive Western Conference.
How far do the Phoenix Suns go this season?
SunsRealityCheck: This is the deepest, best team that the best player in Suns franchise history has ever had, with the best coach he’s ever had. For this era, it’s now or never, and I predict that this will be the year of the Suns’ breakthrough. Teams will be caught sleeping, and the Booker post-Olympic season will be the one where we see Book achieve his final form.
Elbow Jumper: This Suns team will get them as far as a Booker MVP-calibre season takes them. Previously, we’ve witnessed Book lead the Suns to a 64-win season (in 2021/-22) and not get the credit he deserved. I’ll double down on an earlier comment. With a fair share of luck and some favorable match-ups through the playoffs, the Suns go on a deep playoff run—I’d settle for a WCF appearance—with a 2024-25 campaign that the whole organization and fan base can feel super proud about.
Brandon Duenas: They are a second-round exit unless they address their weaknesses at the trade deadline. I hate to say it, but I just do not think this roster is built to win a title with the lack of point-of-attack defense, lack of athleticism, and shaky (playoff) center rotation. Is it possible? Absolutely. If the Big Three clicks and stays healthy, anything is possible, but the margin for error feels slim. I am a Suns fan, but also a realist. They need to prove to us they are a title contender, I’m done with the blind hope.
Holden Sherman: The second round. By adding real point-guard play to the roster, they are now a more organized team, likely leading to less fourth-quarter meltdowns. I still question their depth and size to make a DEEP playoff run like they did in 2021. As long as Kevin Durant is Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker is Devin Booker, anything is possible, but to compete with the top dogs of the Western Conference, a well-rounded team, or an automatic offensive machine like Luka Dončič or Nikola Jokić is needed.
Manny Loera: We make it to the Western Conference finals and lose to OKC.
SirHammo: All the way baby! This is the best team we have had in years. Barring any unforeseen injustices to our roster, we will be bring the chip home.
Rod Argent: Hopefully, all the way, but realistically, the WC Semi-finals are more likely.
John Voita: I have blind hope. I have faith. I have faith that we will be surprised by the rollercoaster that lies ahead, even with a couple of loop-de-loops thrown in the middle. I have faith that in the first season that both Dave King and Al McCoy haven’t watched, this team will go all the way. In their honor. In their memory. So when we feel that elation of emotion, we feel close to them once again.
Why? Because it’s time to pick my heart up off the floor. I gotta have faith, faith, faith…
Matthew Lissy:
As we dive deeper into the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns season, one thing is for certain: this team is like a box of chocolates…sometimes sweet, sometimes nutty, and occasionally a little too hard to swallow. With the questions of last season still echoing like a bad pop song stuck in your head, we’re eager to see if the Suns can transform into the playoff powerhouse we know they can be. Will they soar like a majestic eagle or flop like a pancake on a Sunday brunch?
Cheers to a season full of Sunsational moments!