Kevin Durant takes the top spot in SunsRank, so who’s next in line?
We press on with our ranking of the Phoenix Suns, and the first chapter is officially etched in stone. It was a tight race, a photo finish, a toss-up between brilliance and burden. But when the dust finally settled, Kevin Durant stood alone at the top, earning 49% of the vote. Call it reputation. Call it gravity. Call it the cold, stubborn truth of a season where excellence was rare and leadership even rarer.
Durant was still that guy. The best of the bunch. KD Stans everywhere, rejoice!
Here’s where we are so far…
- Kevin Druant
- …
We now move forward in our quest to crown the second-best member of the Phoenix Suns. Maybe it’s an exercise in futility. Maybe this is a test. Maybe I already know how this ends, but this is the process. This is SunsRank. Every player. Every name. From top to bottom. It’s not something I invented. I’m just sticking to the flight plan. Buckled in, riding the turbulence, scribbling names in pencil while the engine flickers midair.
And so, the next checkpoint: a vote between two of the most duplicative, overlapping, positional-twinned players on the roster: Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Two All-Star-caliber shooting guards. Which one was better? Which one mattered more?
Let’s start by making the case for both.
Candidates for SunsRank’s #2 Spot
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.
Now that the case has been made, the floor is yours. Who takes the second spot in this Suns pecking order?
As a reminder, this process will continue, ranking every single member of the Phoenix Suns. The real conversation starts when we dive into the third-best player. That’s when things really begin to get interesting.
Voting Time
Who gets that #2 spot?
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