The Phoenix Suns are desperate to find the right combination to return to the NBA Finals. To do so, the team has made bold moves in hopes of achieving that goal.
The Suns have built a team with some of the biggest names in the league. However, it may be more a matter of how they use their players rather than having the most talented squad.
“In Phoenix, (Bradley) Beal has to embrace being a role player. He has to shoot three-pointers, play defense, defer to (Devin) Booker and Kevin Durant,” Real general manager Wes Goldberg wrote Monday.
“Beal shot 43 percent from three last season, his best percentage since 2020. He made 43.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot attempts. Under coach Mike Budenholzer, Beal should steer his game even more in that direction. Less dribbling and less playmaking should encourage him to play the best defense of his career.”
Beal joined the Suns in an offseason trade last year after the longtime Washington Wizards point guard opted to waive his no-trade clause to join Phoenix. In his first year with his new team, the Florida product has at times looked like a shadow of his former self.
Despite his decline, in 53 games with the team, Beal averaged 18.2 points, five assists and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 51.3 percent from the floor.
Last season, the Suns sometimes looked worse when all three of their stars were on the court due to the team’s lack of identity. Chemistry was hard to build when one of the three stars was missing from the lineup every other night, which meant the team struggled to maintain continuity.
However, the hiring of Budenholzer could be the missing piece that allows this team to take over. If the veteran coach can convince his best players to take on a bigger role for the team rather than themselves, they could find themselves in a similar position to the defending champion Boston Celtics last year.
Still, if the 31-year-old were to accept a smaller role on the team and serve as the team’s third option behind Booker and Durant, Phoenix could be a force to be reckoned with.
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