Valley of the Suns
Fansided

3 reasons Phoenix Suns’ season could end with a championship in 2024

By Luke Duffy

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 16: Devin Booker #1 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns run onto the court before Game One of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the LA Clippers at Footprint Center on April 16, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 16: Devin Booker #1 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns run onto the court before Game One of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the LA Clippers at Footprint Center on April 16, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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OKINAWA, JAPAN – AUGUST 31: Yuta Watanabe of Japan celebrates. (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)
OKINAWA, JAPAN – AUGUST 31: Yuta Watanabe of Japan celebrates. (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images) /

3. A “3-and-D” team

Lost amongst the talk of the star talent the Suns have amassed, is the fact they are somehow underrated defensively as a group. Make no mistake, they will be doing well to finish around league average in this area, and losing Mikal Bridges in the Durant trade was a massive blow.

But the Suns have Durant, a player who can spend some minutes at the five and is elite defensively when he wants to be. Booker had perhaps the best season of his career on that end last year, while Beal can, if nothing else, stay in front of a whole host of elite guards.

Where it gets interesting is with Ayton, because we saw during the run to the NBA Finals in 2021 that he is capable of anchoring a defense that goes into deep waters. Even if that player isn’t coming back, he is top 10 in the league at his position, and is still only 25-years-old. He may not always look engaged, and is constantly being traded, but the best could be yet to come.

Couple that with Eric Gordon (great defender, shot 42.3 percent from deep with the L.A. Clippers last season) and Yuta Watanabe (massive frame for his position, 44.4 percent fox 3-point range last year), and the Suns suddenly become very hard to beat.

Last season they were good for seventh in the league from 3-point range as well (37.4 percent), and that was with a small sample size of Durant on the team. Add in Gordon, Watanabe and Beal, and the top seven players in this rotation make this a “3-and-D” group right the way through. How is anybody else meant to compete with that?

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