3 biggest questions for Phoenix Suns ahead of media day
By Luke Duffy
2. Who runs this team?
Last season the Suns had a future Hall of Fame floor general in Chris Paul running the show. With the “Point God” now gone in favor of Beal, that leaves… Jordan Goodwin to run the team? Underrated as he may be, we all know this won’t be Goodwin’s team to run come opening night.
Instead the backcourt is going to be made up of Booker and Beal, and Durant is likely to handle the ball some as well. Really then the question of who becomes the de facto point guard here is also linked to who will be the fifth starter on this team?
That is not yet known, although plenty have speculated, and Keita Bates-Diop and even the returning Josh Okogie make the most sense here. Bigger wings who are able to stick with the elite scorers in this league. Having one of these two on the court with the starters also ensures Booker doesn’t burn up all of his energy each night chasing opponents around the court.
But that also means Booker will handle the ball more than he ever has in his career. Which in a way is great, because he is one of the 12 best players in the league, and is only getting better. Booker looks comfortable on the ball and setting up teammates, so that the likes of Durant and Beal can profit from his playmaking ability.
In doing this however, Booker the pure scorer is going to be nullified some, and that is bad news for the Suns. Last season he led the playoffs at 33.7 points per game, and torched the L.A. Clippers in their first round series. Booker will still call his own number plenty, but giving him facilitating responsibilities could come at the cost of seeing him go off as frequently as usual.