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The 2024-25 NBA season is here! We’re breaking down the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy outlooks for all 30 teams. Enjoy!
PHOENIX SUNS
2023-24 finish
Offseason moves
Additions: Tyus Jones, Monte Morris, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro
Subtractions: Eric Gordon, Drew Eubanks, Thaddeus Young, David Roddy, Isaiah Thomas, Nassir Little
Complete roster
The Big Question: Was a point guard all that was missing?
Undrafted combo guard Jordan Goodwin was the closest thing to a point guard the Phoenix Suns had on the roster last season. He played half their games and totaled 78 assists. Seven members of the rotation registered more assists, including everyone in the starting lineup. (Yes, Jusuf Nurkić had more assists.)
With that kind of firepower, the Suns should have easily boasted a top-five offense. Instead, they submitted the worst assist-to-turnover ratio (1.82) of any serious team in the Western Conference last season. They moved less and slower than 27 of the league’s 30 teams, according to NBA tracking data. They were closer to the 25th-rated Toronto Raptors than they were the league-leading Boston Celtics.
They also had nothing more than minimum contracts available to address this issue in the offseason. Somehow they landed both Tyus Jones and Monte Morris, who sandwiched Delon Wright among the league’s leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio. They are table-setters, first and foremost, and they rarely turn the ball over.
Add a new head coach, Mike Budenholzer, who designed top-five offenses in both Atlanta and Milwaukee, and that is a solid starting point for significant improvement. Suddenly, you realize, Oh, yeah, maybe they should have had someone to set up a trio of elite scorers rather than let them fend for themselves.
Except, Jones and Morris do not address a glaring weakness on defense. The Suns were swept from the first round of the playoffs, allowing 123.2 points per 100 possessions to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they may have just gotten worse on that end. If Phoenix wants to play its three stars, a center (Nurkić or newcomer Mason…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/phoenix-suns-2024-25-season-preview-kevin-durant-and-the-nbas-combustible-contender-155134422.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-10-08 15:51:34
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