PHOENIX — We’re officially less than two months away from the start of the Phoenix Suns’ regular season, and now is the typical time when teams begin to be evaluated once again — nearly two months after the start of free agency.
The Suns have a handful of questions to answer when the 2024-25 season begins — and Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes picked one that stood above average. rest – can the defense outperform again?
“Tyus Jones and Monte Morris are probably the two most reliable point guards of the past few seasons, and they will help organize the Phoenix Suns’ offense, making life easier for Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
“Those two will also present undersized targets for opponents to attack, and switching schemes may not be viable at all. Concerns about Jusuf Nurkić’s lack of lift have been around for a while, and while he’s produced elite estimated defensive Plus/Minus numbers (we’re talking 90th percentile or better) in six of his 10 career seasons, including last year, there’s still a sense that he’s vulnerable in space against speedy guards and lob receivers.
“Durant is a year older, Beal likely won’t be able to sustain a full season of two-way play given his injury history, and Phoenix’s big backups – Mason Plumlee and Bol Bol – aren’t big-name run-stoppers.
“The Suns finished a surprising 12th in defensive efficiency last year, and they’ll have to be at least that good to be considered serious as a deep threat in the playoffs.”
– Hughes on Suns’ defensive concerns
The addition of the point guard has eased concerns about turnovers and historically poor fourth-quarter performances, though there is a valid question about Phoenix’s defense already reaching its peak under this arrangement.
They finished 13th in defensive rating last season and did little to address fundamental issues outside of drafting a pair of rookies who might not see much NBA action in 2024-25.
The stats are similar to Jusuf Nurkic’s regular season numbers, but his lack of athleticism after a leg injury has haunted the teams he’s played for for a few years now. Mason Plumlee and Bol Bol are passable defensemen in the absence of defense, but neither should be considered a mainstay.
Kevin Durant is coming off one of his best defensive seasons as a professional — but it would be irresponsible to pin the same blame on him this season.
Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Tyus Jones and Monte Morris are all projected as replacement-level defenders at best – all are past their peaks on defense – perhaps aside from Booker.
Finally, Royce O’Neale, Josh Okogie and Ryan Dunn form a solid defensive end rotation, but two of the three have offensive limitations that make it difficult to justify a roster spot right now.
The Suns’ defense could once again overperform in the regular season, but could it hold up throughout a playoff run?
It’s a question that will hopefully be answered one way or another in the coming months.
