7 season-defining questions for the Phoenix Suns to answer
By Luke Duffy
It has taken a long time – too long really – but we finally stand on the verge of the 2023-24 NBA season. For the Phoenix Suns, all of the chatter about the offseason that was and the moves that they made can now stop.
Incredible as it is to think, in the calendar year of 2023 they have added Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, while also saying goodbye to Chris Paul, Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton. That is the kind of massive roster overhaul that goes against the common belief that continuity is needed to win championships.
The Suns have many questions which they will need to answer over the ensuing month, with seven clear, season-defining puzzles for them to solve.
Their ability, or lack thereof, to do so will tell us all we need to know about this organization. Thanks to owner Mat Ishbia, the Suns are the most “all in” team in the entire league. A great place to be as it is about winning titles in this league, but also a scary proposition as well.
There is nowhere left to hide. No promise of better days to come in the future. The time to produce is now, and it is a championship window that is as open as the healthy of 35-year-old Kevin Durant allows it to be. So settle in, get ready to enjoy what promises to be an unforgettable season, and watch along to see if the Suns can successfully answer these conundrums.
7. Do they have the depth?
On the surface, the Suns absolutely have the depth to make a title charge. Dig a little deeper though, and that confidence in the 15 man roster the franchise have put together begins to erode. Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker is an incredible place to start. Three of the top 25 players in the league today, no matter what ESPN thinks about Beal.
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But if any one of them misses meaningful time, that depth begins to get exposed. Make no mistake, a four through eight of Josh Okogie, Grayson Allen, Yuta Watanabe and Eric Gordon surpasses every expectation we would have had for the Suns given their cap sheet to begin the summer.
Those four players will round out the postseason rotation, and all can make a 3-point shot. All four are also not negative defenders, with Okogie and Gordon known for being able to defend at a high level. Allen’s perception as a “dirty player” at least shows he’ll get stuck in, while Watanabe is a big body if nothing else. The roster is rounded nicely, as long as the team has close to full availability.