Bright Side readers rank the Suns players, voting today on the #1 overall player on the roster.
Some folks drone on about The Masters. “A tradition unlike any other,” they say. But around these parts, deep within the passion-fueled, emoji-laden, debate-ridden halls of Bright Side of the Sun, there’s only one tradition that truly stirs the collective soul. One event that makes us yell louder than a missed Devin Booker corner three.
It’s called SunsRank.
Every year, once before the chaos begins and again after the dust settles, we gather to rank the “best” Phoenix Suns players. Why? Because we’re lunatics for patterns, obsessed with narrative arcs, and just a little addicted to the kind of introspection only a full-season breakdown can provide. We want to see how expectations aged. Who over-delivered. Who vanished like Landry Shamet in a playoff rotation. Who we crowned, and who we clowned.
And “best”? That word’s deliciously vague on purpose. Interpret it however you want. Most talented. Most valuable contract. Most clutch. Most likely to ascend next season. Maybe you just love the way they rock a tunnel fit or chew their gum like it’s personal. Maybe you saw them give a kid their shoes, and it moved you. That’s the point: you decide.
This isn’t about stats, though they’re welcome. It’s not about narrative, though we’re tuned into it. It’s about vibes. And context. And evolution. It’s SunsRank, baby.
So we kick off SunsRank the only way we know how. By trying to answer the most loaded, most debated, most tragically ironic question of the 2024–25 season: who the hell was the “best” player on the Phoenix Suns?
A team that was built on the glossy promise of a Big Three, only to underwhelm their way to a 36–46 record and a front-row seat to the Play-In from the couch. Technically, a superteam. Spiritually, a sad poem written in luxury tax.
Still, the ritual remains. We begin with the top of the food chain and open the polls to you. The fans. The loyalists. The lifers. The people who know that “best” might mean different things to different people. Is it Booker? Durant? Beal? Someone else entirely with a better plus-minus and less emotional baggage?
Let the discourse commence. And don’t worry. We’re going all the way down the roster. Every player will get their moment in the sun (or the shade, depending). So stay locked into Bright Side as SunsRank rolls on. This is your moment. Your madness. Your Suns’ therapy session wrapped in a spreadsheet. Let’s get to ranking.
Let’s review the case for each player, then let you decide in a poll at the bottom. As a reminder, here is where SunsRank ended before the season began, per the Bright Side wiring team:
Candidates for SunsRank’s #1 Spot
Kevin Durant
Stats (Team Ranks): 26.6 points (1st), 6.0 rebounds (3rd), 4.2 assists (3rd), 3.1 turnovers (1st), 0.8 steals (7th), 52.7 FG% (4th), 43.0 3PT% (2nd), 59.8 eFG% (6th), -38 +/-
- Pros: Elite scoring talent, unblockable shot, three-level scorer, no fear in clutch moments, possibly the best defender on the team.
- Cons: Ball security, off-court vibes, symbol of a failed era in Suns’ basketball, has a Stanbase that is quite possibly the largest group of insufferable people who exist.
Devin Booker
Stats (Team Ranks): 25.6 points (2nd), 4.1 rebounds (5th), 7.1 assists (1st), 2.9 turnovers (2nd), 0.9 steals (3rd), 46.1 FG% (7th), 33.2 3PT% (9th), 52.5 eFG% (11th), -177 +/-
- Pros: Pure scorer, excels in the midrange, has the ability to carry the team offensively on any given night, premier shoe salesman, had the most Bright Side Baller’s of the season.
- Cons: Three-point shooting, defensive intensity, engagement and leadership.
Bradley Beal
Stats (Team Ranks): 17.0 points (3rd), 3.3 rebounds (9th), 3.7 assists (4th), 1.9 turnovers (3rd), 1.1 steals (1st), 49.7 FG% (6th), 38.6 3PT% (6th), 57.1 eFG% (8th), -273 +/-
- Pros: Can create his own shot off the dribble, has the ability to score on three levels, adapted to being an off-the-bench player when asked, doesn’t have annoying Stans on Twitter.
- Cons: Health, herky-jerky style of play leads to injury, average defender on a good night, holds a lot of cards (could lead to paper cuts), didn’t want to play like Jrue Holiday.
Voting Time
Bright Side will run this SunsRank process for the entire Suns 2024-25 roster. We’re starting with number one.
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