Suns governor Mat Ishbia made a bold proclamation this offseason when he predicted that the Suns would improve without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, but he’s been proven right so far. After parting ways with the two former All-Stars, the Suns have deployed a more balanced team that is earning wins with ball movement and defense. Like Ishbia predicted, the Suns have improved by acquiring players that are a better fit for their team culture.
The Suns are winning without big names.
Although the Suns lost two of their biggest scorers from last season, they added players who fit perfectly into their team vision. Guys like Dillon Brooks have been instrumental in improving the team’s defensive identity and holding other Suns accountable. Even players that were already on the team last season have been forced to step up with an intense leader like Brooks.
The Suns have also allowed their role players to shine this season with greater confidence. Collin Gillespie has been a breakout player in an important point guard role, but he’s not the only one playing unexpectedly well. Grayson Allen has been one of the deadliest high-volume shooters in the entire NBA this season with increased freedom to take any three he likes.
Spread-out shooting and versatile defenses are hallmarks of good modern teams and the Suns have finally committed fully to that ideal. With Beal and Durant, they didn’t have the salary space to build out a solid defensive unit and their offensive playstyle was much more plodding.
Increased ball movement without isolation-heavy stars has driven their success on offense so far. Their team structure is much more balanced now and able to withstand injuries, which can pay off in the long regular season.
Durant and Beal weren’t necessarily the problem last season, but their fit on the team was. They had too many overlapping skillsets with each other and Devin Booker, while sharing too many weaknesses too. Booker himself has performed better this season as the lone star and the license to showcase the full extent of his skills. He’s already scoring at a higher rate and efficiency than last season.
In a complete contrast to last season, the Suns have vastly outperformed expectations and most of their offseason acquisitions have been pleasant surprises. It was hard for anyone outside the team to predict this level of success, but Ishbia and others must have seen something early that foreshadowed the current quality of play.
Suns fans are certainly pleased to see the results so far and hope it will continue throughout the season.