PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns are entering the final stretch before the start of the 2024-25 regular season.
With that territory comes a coherent narrative about what the team could/should look like in the season opener.
While Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are two constants in coach Mike Budenholzer’s closing rotation this season, there are a number of moving parts elsewhere.
The roster is seen as significantly improved, but it will be difficult to find a balance between shooting, table setting and defensive prowess – something that surely won’t happen overnight.
This five-man lineup probably gives the Suns the best chance of getting a win when the game is on the line this season:
What this team sacrifices in rebounding and physicality, it certainly makes up for in fitness. Jones and Beal could serve as table-top shooters and/or stationary shooters.
Booker is in a natural position to do what he does best: put the ball in the basket. O’Neale provides the necessary space on the floor and remains a versatile defender, even if his best days at the position are behind him.
Durant, at position five, is the ultimate wild card. It’s probably the most natural way to use him, as Dirk Nowitzki did in 2011, the season he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA title.
This formation certainly has its pros and cons, but the positives reign supreme here. All five players on the court are deadly shooters in this scenario, all five can at least serve as off-ball connectors. There would be fewer turnovers with this formation.
More importantly, this five-man lineup could end up being the one that puts Durant and Booker in positions where they’re meant to thrive.
