Your weekly Inside the Suns analysis straight from the BSotS community who live and breathe the team.
Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team.
Each week the Fantable – a round table of Bright Siders – give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1 – What most caught your attention during the Suns’ Media Day activities?
GuarGuar: I was very pleased to see James Jones and Bud talk extensively about how they want Bradley Beal and others to get back to their off ball dominant games. It’s clear they view the Beal as a hybrid experiment a failure and they’ve addressed that by getting Tyus and Monte. Brad also says he’s really excited and feels much better going forward compared to last year. I think this will be a bounce back year for him.
Also was very interesting listening to Bud talk about how he wants to push the limit on Nurk shooting 3s.
OldAz: Last year we heard from the Diamondbacks skipper that “A connected team is a dangerous team” and that’s what I saw as a massive distinction between last year’s Suns media day and this years. Last year at media day the Suns were a cobbled together collection of players, with no PG, along with a coach that didn’t seem to fit (Vogel was billed a defensive coach but had a roster of offensive talent) alongside a holdover assistant he probably didn’t select.
This year the main core returns, but with a coach that appears to be in control of all aspects of the plan and the only new player(s) fill the most glaring need from the previous season. Oh yeah, that player chose to come to Phoenix for less money at the behest of the starter whose minutes will probably be most impacted. This sure seems like a connected team.
Now we just have to hope they stay connected and play for Coach Bud in a much more sustained way than they ever did for Frank. Otherwise, the same Diamondbacks roster showed those season how much less dangerous that team can be when the “connectedness” is just lip service.
Brrrberry: All the authentic positivity and excitement. I’ve been watching some of the short practice clips and it’s just flat out a whole different feeling than the practice vids early training camp last year. I suppose what I’m picking up on is a belief that for whatever reason didn’t exist last season. You take the continuity and couple that with the additions that were made and this is a vastly improved roster.
Rod: There were quite a few things that got my attention but I’ll try to just hit the high points.
First, I liked what Mat Ishbia said about the 2nd tax apron: “Some (owners) are shying away from the restrictions, some are shying away from the tax penalties. We’re not shying away from either.” Whether you agree on how Ishbia’s spending his money or not, you have to love that he’s still all in and not backing down from his approach.
And there was this from James Jones, “Our guys started playing high-level pickup basketball together in the 1st week of September. They didn’t have to do that and that’s not normal, it’s special.” Normally I might be hesitant to call this more than just trying to say the ‘right things’ to the media but just about everything I’ve seen and heard from the players reeks of enthusiasm and excitement which just backs up that statement.
A couple of things I heard from Mike Budenholzer stood out too. “We want to be great coming out of the chute.” I believe that he was speaking for the entire team and everyone coming back from a disappointing last season feels a need to show that they can play better than they did at times last year. I also liked that he indicated that Bol Bol will likely get a bigger, more consistent role this season. I often wondered why Vogul seemed to only give him court time him randomly.
And finally, Jusuf Nurkic’s comment about him stopping taking threes being a coaching decision reinforces my belief that coaching held this team back to a certain degree last season. I think Vogul & company were probably too conservative and/or rigid. I think Bud is more likely to try and help a player who is struggling in a certain area rather than just tell him to stop doing something.
Q2 – How do you feel about Frank Kaminsky (possibly) returning the Suns’ roster this season?
GuarGuar: I’m totally fine with Frank being our 15th man. He can stretch the floor better than our other big men and he’s got experience with this team during the Finals run. He shouldn’t ever be a key piece for us come playoff time but I think he’s great for the locker room and can give quality minutes if needed during the regular season.
OldAz: I really just think they are taking a flyer on him, but who knows. I always liked Frank for his basketball IQ and ability to connect the offense together. There is an open roster spot and while the rookie big men learn to play in the league he might be able to find a role. At least until the trade deadline when maybe those rookies are more ready to contribute and they need to flip that last roster spot for something better that becomes available.
Brrrberry: Ambivalent would be the best word. If he’s a 15th guy that keeps things light and always makes for a better mood roster wide then I’m glad to have him aboard as there’s value in that. Think about how when a coworker you really like quits, gets fired etc how generally disappointing it is because they make work better. I think Frank may be one of those dudes that makes work better. I don’t want him playing a minute in the playoffs.
Rod: I’m glad that Frank’s getting the opportunity to win that last roster spot. As a possible 3rd string PF/C, I think he would be a good addition to the team depth-wise and a positive locker room leader. Although I want the team to give that spot to the best player between he, Wood and Diakite, I’d be delighted if that guy turned out to be Frank.
Q3 – The Suns play their first preseason game in just 3 days. What do you most hope to see in that first game?
GuarGuar: I just really want to see us shoot more 3s like everyone has been talking about. The players and coaches have repeatedly said it’s a big emphasis this year. It’s one thing to talk about it, it’s another to see it in action. Vogel talked about it extensively and it never came true. I will believe it when I see it.
OldAz: I can’t believe it is almost time for basketball! Then again, it is just preseason. I want to see the new PGs (both Jones and Morris) controlling the tempo and setting up defined offensive sets. There is a difference between playing “random” and simply rolling the ball out there and letting 5 dudes just figure it out. That just feels like what last years offense was all about.
Brrrberry: Effort top to bottom and this belief that I’m picking up on to show itself in an actual game. I’d like to see us destroy whoever we play and start to see what we never saw last season, we were all counting on. Namely, an offense that when it’s on, other teams just can’t keep up, even if they’re playing well.
I’ll always be tracking Bol’s minutes too. If he can’t crack the rotation I think what that could mean is he’s just a super talented guy that with insane measurable who likes ball but doesn’t have the competitiveness or desire to be great, which would explain why he can’t get consistent minutes anywhere he goes. He’s still young but I’ve got a bit of a 5 year rule where I believe who you’ve shown yourself to be after a half decade in the league, is likely who you’re going to be. If there’s a dude that could buck that timeline, I do think it’s a unique talent like Bol. He’s a pretty gentle soul, want him to find a nasty steak but it may not be possible, or even necessary.
Rod: I know that the starters won’t be playing a lot of minutes in the preseason games but I want to see how well they mesh together and play as a unit. I don’t expect them to come out playing like a well oiled machine from the git-go but I think we should be able to at least get an idea of how well they can play as a team once the games that count begin. We have some great players on this team but how well the team plays together is the most important thing.
And even though winning or losing preseason games doesn’t really matter, I’d still love to see the Suns start off with a win against the Lakers.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Last Week’s poll results
Last week’s question was “How much better do you think the Suns will be in the 4th quarter this season?”
71% – Much better, a top 10 team.
26% – A middle of the road team, 11th-20th.
02% – Not much. They’ll still be a bottom 10 team.
A total of 136 votes were cast.
Suns Trivia/History
On October 8, 2018, the Suns fired former general manager Ryan McDonough and appointed James Jones and Trevor Bukstein as interim co-GMs. During McDonough’s 5 years as GM, the Suns had only one winning season, one in which the Suns were actually expected to tank (2013-14) for a high draft pick but surprisingly finished 48-34 and just barely missed the playoffs following a disappointing 25-57 finish the previous year.
The following season, McD tried to build on the success of 2013-14 but the team began to fall apart and continued to get worse throughout the rest of McDonough’s time in Phoenix. Due to his late firing in 2018, his negative influence on team building carried over into 2018-19 when the Suns went 19-63, the second worst season record in franchise history.
When he tried to form a losing team, it won. When he tried to put together a winning team, it lost. Weird but true.
While he was responsible for drafting Suns star Devin Booker in the 2015 NBA Draft, it was rumored at the time that he would have instead drafted Frank Kaminsky if he had not been taken earlier in that draft (9th pick) by the Charlotte Hornets.
That you for that, Charlotte.
Players with 14,000+ PTS and 1,000+ 3PM before turning 28:
— Kevin Durant
— Devin BookerThat’s it. pic.twitter.com/mgSYbDxzha
— Booker Muse (@DevinBookerMuse) October 2, 2024
Quotes of the Week
“Credit to the city of Phoenix for being a place where players want to play.” – Kevin Durant
“The offensive firepower potential we have is through the roof.” – Tyus Jones
“I think he’s perfect for our team, our goals and what we feel like we need to do.” – Grayson Allen on Coach Budenholzer
Important Future Dates
October 4 – Preseason begins.
October 6 – Suns @ Lakers (6:30 pm AZT)
October 8 – Suns @ Pistons (4:00 pm AZT)
- Will be played at the Breslin Center at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan
October 11 – Suns vs Pistons (7:00 pm AZT)
October 13 – Suns @ Nuggets on ESPN (5:30 pm AZT)
October 17 – Suns vs Lakers on TNT (7:00 pm AZT)
- All five Suns preseason games will be broadcast locally on Arizona’s Family 3TV and Arizona’s Family Sports.
October 18 – Preseason ends.
October 19 – Last day for players on fully non-guaranteed contracts to be waived and not count at all against a team’s 2024/25 cap. They must clear waivers before the first day of the regular season.
October 21 – Last day of the 2024 offseason. Roster limits decrease from 21 players to 18 (2:00 pm AZT). Teams will be limited to carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals as of this deadline. Last day for teams to sign a player to a rookie scale extension (3:00 pm AZT). Last day for teams to sign an extension-eligible veteran player with multiple seasons left on his contract to an extension. Last day for teams to convert an Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way contract.
October 22 – 2024/25 regular season begins.
This week’s poll is…