SunsRank Counterpoint: Why Bradley Beal is the third-best Phoenix Sun, not Grayson Allen

I feel like I’m living in the The Fourth Dimension. Or in an episode of Black mirror. Just when I think I have things figured out, I am caught off guard by reality. Or at least by other people’s reality.

Our recent SunsRank sparked debate, which is exactly what we wanted. It’s about capturing our current thoughts and perspectives on the Phoenix Suns as we head into the 2024-25 season. These views are bound to evolve once the ball drops on October 23 and will continue to change as the season progresses. Not everyone will agree with everyone.

So we’re going to debate.

IJ Hamilton, one of my favorite hosts of the Suns Planet Podcast and a contributor here at Bright Side, recently explained why he thinks Grayson Allen is the third best member of the Suns. He made some valid arguments to support his belief, and I can’t fault anyone for having an opinion and backing it up with solid reasoning.

But I’m entitled to have an opinion about that opinion, right?

I’m not shocked by this response. I’m shocked by the reaction. As of this writing, the poll asking whether or not Grayson Allen was the third best player on the Suns had garnered 277 votes. 144 – 52% – said yes!

Let’s make this damn thing heard The Fourth Dimension music. I travel to another dimension — a dimension not only visual and sound, but also mental. A journey to a wonderful country whose boundaries are those of imagination…

Like my cousin Eddie, I have to ask… “Are you serious, Clark?” Did Facebook Suns even see this post? Because some people there actually believe Allen is better, and the fact that the majority of the Bright Side community does too has me reeling. Concerned. Perplexed. Questioning my existence as a Suns fan, and maybe even as a human being.

I understand the negative reaction. I do. Bradley Beal underperformed compared to expectations last year. He played 53 games, reinforcing the “always injured” narrative. He had a horrible Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves leaving an aftertaste of disdain in our mouths. He was paid dearly to do what we perceive as little.

Meanwhile, Grayson Allen has exceeded expectations. He led the NBA in three-point shooting. He has been a surprise and one of the main reasons why we think the Suns won the Deandre Ayton trade.

But is Grayson Allen better than Bradley Beal?

Yes, determining who is “better” is a subjective argument. And I subjectively and emphatically disagree. But on no planet – the planet Sun or right here on Mother Earth – do I see Grayson Allen as better than Bradley Beal. And I’ll tell you why.

Let’s start with some of the reasoning highlighted by IJ:

Allen dominated with a .499 shooting percentage.

“Dominated” is a strong word here. 49.9% of players put Allen at 9th best in the team. And 151st in NBA by players who have played at least 50 games. Bradley Beal shot 51.3 percent from the field — sixth best on the team and 121st in the league — so while GA dominated, Beal had to destroy the competition with his shooting.

Even more impressive is his .461 three-point shooting percentage, which led not only the Suns, but the entire NBA last season. Suns fans, rejoice: we have the best three-point shooter in the league. That’s pretty good!

I don’t disagree. Allen had an atypical year from beyond the three-point line. In the context of his career, it was his best shooting season at 5.2%! That’s quite a jump. Is that expected now? Is that the kind of success that’s sustainable?

GA hit the mark from deep, but does that make him a better basketball player than Bradley Beal? Or just a better three-point shooter. Should we ignore the fact that Beal was the sixth best three-point shooter in the NBA at 43%?

Grayson Allen’s ball-handling abilities are solid, as evidenced by his 95 turnovers last season. To put that into perspective, Kevin Durant had 244, Devin Booker had 178, Jusuf Nurkić had 175, and Bradley Beal had 131. Despite playing the second-most minutes on the team (2,513, just behind Durant’s 2,791), Allen kept his turnovers low. Add to that an average of 3.0 assists per game, and it shows that his turnovers are not only adequate but reliable.

Oy. Totals.

Allen used 14.3 percent of his passes, which was 14th on the Suns. Not exactly hard to avoid turnovers when the ball is barely in your hands. Meanwhile, Beal’s assist-to-turnover ratio was 2.0, clearly lagging behind Allen’s impressive 2.4. But hey, Beal did it with a 22.4 percent usage rate, so there’s that.

So in the grand scheme of things, having 36 more turnovers in a season while your usage rate is 8.1% higher isn’t horrible. How do you like those totals?

I hear the value argument. Beal was paid $46.7 million last season, compared to Allen’s $8.9 million. (Psst…you know why? Because Bradley Beal is better…) Allen gave us more “ROI.” So I guess he’s better. Considering he’s paid 19% of what Beal makes but is the best three-point shooter in the league, he must be better! Oh, and he’s better than Devin Booker…and Kevin Durant…

I understand there is a certain level of disappointment after what happened last season to the Phoenix Suns as a whole. The team underperformed. But that doesn’t mean we should lose our minds about who is better than who.

Oh, you need a reason why Bradley Beal is CLEARLY the third best member of the Phoenix Suns, behind Kevin Durant and Devin Booker but easily ahead of Grayson Allen? As Jules said in pulp Fiction“Let me reply.”

Let’s start with something simple.

If Grayson Allen is so good, why is he coming off the bench next season? Why isn’t he starting in place of Bradley Beal? I mean, he’s the best player, right? Money doesn’t matter; you have to put your best players on the court, right? Answer: GA isn’t the best player, that’s why.

Last season may have been disappointing, but Beal wasn’t as horrible as the offseason made him look. Hell, he was one of the only players who showed leadership, courage, accountability, and “cared” at the end of the season. Remember what Grayson Allen said at the end of the season? No? What about Beal?

Let me take out my miner’s hat, shall we? Let’s go through every NBA team last season and identify who was the third-leading scorer on each team, counting players who played 50 or more games. I wonder where Bradley Beal ranks on this list? Grayson Allen is better, so Beal must be way down there, right?

The Suns’ third-best player last season scored 18.2 points, with a 51.3/43.0/81.3 ratio. He averaged 5.0 assists (tied for second on the team) and grabbed 4.4 rebounds (fifth on the team). And his name wasn’t Grayson Allen.

It was Bradley Emmanuel Beal.

I completely understand the disappointment surrounding Beal. It’s easy to feel uncomfortable when you look at the lack of flexibility in his contract and the years he has left. But while those concerns are legitimate, they can overshadow the bigger picture. Beal’s talent and potential impact on the team are undeniable.

The team lacked direction last year and was poorly constructed. It’s all Beal’s fault, I’m sure. Don’t let recency bias against the Suns as a whole cloud your judgment of his potential, basketball talent, skills, and sense of humor. Or do it. You’re entitled to your opinion on this matter, and while I think half the community missed the mark on this, I’m sure you’ll have your reasons (and I’ll expect an explanation in the chat below).

I had to lay out my reasons why I think claiming Grayson Allen is better than Breadley Beal is completely insane. And now I have.