4 increasingly fascinating Suns storylines heading into 2024-25

The Phoenix Suns have now wrapped up preseason play, with all eyes now turning to an Opening Week of the regular season that will see them appear on national television twice. Both contests coming away from home against both Los Angeles teams.

Fans try not to read too much into these tune-up games - but even for the most cynical of individuals in The Valley - there was a lot to like about how they approached these five games. They went 3-2, not that the results matter, with the final matchup - a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers - the first time we got to see the Suns' starting five share the court together.

Which has made these subplots even more fascinating in Phoenix.

New head coach Mike Budenholzer has been tasked with creating a cohesive unit on both ends of the court - and not only has he hit the ground running in that regard - he already has the kind of personality which seems much more suited to this group. Like previous leading man Frank Vogel both have won a championship, but the way they go about their business couldn't be more different.

4. What to do with these rookies

Without doubt the most impressive aspect of preseason play, was how rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro hit the ground running. As a second round pick it was a surprise to see just how much coach Budenholzer leaned into Ighodaro early, and he more than took his opportunity.

Already he looks like he can bring a different element to the center position than both starting big Jusuf Nurkic and the 34-year-old Mason Plumlee, because he has a level of bounce and athleticism that has been sorely lacking since Deandre Ayton was shipped off to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Dunn though has fans thinking big, and already he looks certain to get minutes with the second unit once the regular season begins. His 3-point shooting was dreadful in two campaigns with Virginia, but already he looks to have adjusted well to the range in the professional game. Defensively his ceiling is so high that it has the potential to have real use once this team gets to the playoffs.

It is going to be fascinating to see how both develop over the course of the season. Ighodaro will surely spend some time down in the G League - he needs reps and this roster is too deep - but Dunn looks like he is here to stay. Credit to General Manager James Jones for not only nailing this draft, but also the previous year when the organization took Toumani Camara.

3. The backup point guard spot

The Suns went and got floor general Tyus Jones this offseason, and he immediately went into the starting group in place of Grayson Allen. Jones has largely looked as advertized throughout preseason, for both the good and bad reasons fans expected.

He takes care of the ball brilliantly and brings a level of calm and stability to the offensive sets that shouldn't have been needed last season with all the talent on this roster, and yet was exposed badly in the postseason. Defensively though there is still work to do - and although Jones more than holds his own in certain matchups - he's undersized and always will be.

But it is what the Suns do when Jones goes to the bench that will be even more interesting than previously thought. Monte Morris was brought in to fill that role - and while he got his chances in preseason - already Bradley Beal looks like he's on his way back to being at his best.

He managed 17 minutes per game in preseason - which seems about right - and on one occasion even managed 20 points. But when the real action begins, it is hard not to see the trio of Jones, Beal and Devin Booker pick a couple of minutes here and there from Morris. Should that happen and the team succeed, it'll be hard for Morris to get back into the rotation in a regular spot.

2. The 3-point revolution

Coach Budenholzer was quick to mention at media day that the Suns would be taking a lot more 3-pointers this coming season, and this was on full display in preseason. The team quickly backed that up, taking 44 attempts from deep across those five games, the sixth most in the league.

Compare that with last season, when they took only 32.6 each night, which had them sitting 25th. Clearly then the game plan offensively is to hoist it from deep on a much more regular basis - and as we have already broken down - the Suns have the elite shooters in Allen, Beal and Durant to bury opponents.

The most interesting aspect of this change will be just how frequently Nurkic is taking these kinds of shots. Throughout his career to date, he has taken far less than even one attempt per game from this range, having knocked down 28 percent of them. Not that the sample size is massive, it is only 347 efforts in the regular season in a decade.

If Nurkic can somehow turn into this team's version of Brook Lopez - who was crucial in the Milwaukee Bucks winning a championship under coach Budenholzer, ironically over the Suns - then that would be a game-changer. Getting out of the Western Conference becomes more realistic, and it would completely rejuvenate the career of a limited 30-year-old big.

1. Can a fringe player really pop?

The Suns look to be on the right track right now behind a new head coach and a core group of guys who are going to ensure they push to win more than the 49 games of a year ago. Booker, Beal and Kevin Durant is still among the best trios in the league, while a rotation filled out with Jones, Nurkic, Allen, Dunn, Plumlee, Morris and Royce O'Neale is definitely above average.

But behind that the franchise has three guys in Damion Lee, Josh Okogie and Bol Bol who are being left behind. But if one of them can provide any juice at all throughout the regular season - injuries are unfortunately a part of the game - then it will ensure the Suns remain competitive and push for a top four spot in the West.

The smart money at this point would be on Okogie - who despite having drawbacks when on the court - is still capable of elite moments defensively. He was brought back in the summer on the kind of contract that looked ripe to trade down the road - and while that might still happen - he could still have a say in The Valley.

Lee can be an excellent 3-point shooter which coach Budenholzer will love, but the backcourt has gotten crowded with the addition of Jones and Morris. He may get chances, but they will be few and far between. Then there's Bol - the ultimate enigma - who had a good showing against the Denver Nuggets and looks like a nice fit for coach Bud. If one goes off the Suns really will be cooki