Phoenix Suns 2023-24 Season Outlook
The Phoenix Suns enter the 2023-24 season with high hopes and lofty expectations in the stead of an aggressive past few months. New owner Mat Ishbia has made a clear emphasis and priority of winning, and winning NOW.
With Bradley Beal now in the fold, and a revamped rotation, the Suns enter as a significant title contender (+650 per Dratfkings to win the NBA Finals, 4th shortest odds).
Who will swing the Suns the most as they look to make it back to win their first championship?
Jusuf Nurkic's Impact
The hemming and hawing over the Deandre Ayton deal is equally tiresome and understandable. Having to trade away the top pick who was part of the brith of a new era for the Suns is difficult. He’s shown bright flashes, is still young, has developed into a plus starter, and could become more.
It wasn’t going to happen in Phoenix. That ship had sailed, as has long been reported, and also been apparent in watching.
While Jusuf Nurkic is not the talent or the athlete that Ayton is, he’s a player who can start, can play a role, and can bring some different things to the floor that were not Ayton’s strong suits.
Nurkic is a really solid and crafty passer out of the high post and as a hub of the offense; for a team with tremendous shooters and off-ball movers, and some questions about their lead guard play, he’s a fantastic fit.
He can screen shooters open, use savvy ball skills and positioning to create space, and dish the ball out of the short roll. Ayton is not yet a great screen setter and making quick decisions as a playmaker isn’t who he is on the court yet.
Fit matters here with respect to talent and efficacy.
How Nurkic fares defensively will be key to unlocking the most of what he brings offensively. He brings a skill set you can build into an offense, he doesn’t have to close games, and he just might elevate this group as they bolster his weaknesses.
Kevin Durant's MVP Future
This is sneakily a massive season for Kevin Durant.
Devin Booker is shifting into a heavier on-ball role (which I’m excited for) and a heightened ability to ease things for Booker with great off-ball play feels key to this offense reaching their highest highs.
This is a different big 3 than the Nets had; Beal and Durant are two of the most lethal off-ball players in the game. I’m not worried about the group “sharing the ball” but how quickly they coalesce as a unit, play with pace, and find flow in the halfcourt will be key.
The shift I’m most excited to see is what roles Durant takes on defensively. He’s long been a good defender, capable of high value and consistent defensive playmaking. Can he hit another level on that end, captivating his All-Defense level highs?
The Suns have some question marks as a defense, but they have more potential answers and solutions than they’ve gotten credit for. Frank Vogel is a great defensive mind who knows how to tailor to personnel.
With a healthy season, steady play, and the record to match, a Kevin Durant MVP run has gone under-discussed headed into the year (+1400 odds at Draftkings Sportsbook).
If he's able to put it all together and push the Suns to a top two seed in the West, I'd expect the award conversation to gain steam.
