The Phoenix Suns have had an up and down campaign so far, but look like they could be about to steady the ship thanks to the return of some big-hitters to their lineup. Despite all of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal missing time to varying different degrees, we may be about to see all three play together for the first time this season very soon.
With so much uncertainty around the availability of their top three players, there have been plenty of others who have stepped up in the absence of the abundance of starpower that the organization possesses. Durant might have been the Suns' best player up to this point, but he hasn't helped them to a 12-10 record to keep the team above water alone.
In fact there have been three key players for the Suns since the start of the season, who have chipped in with bigger contributions than anybody anticipated.
It would be easy to say that the "Big 3" that the Suns have are players that they cannot afford to lose, but that would be too obvious. Although with Beal having only played three games for the franchise so far, the jury is still out on just how much of a contributing factor he can be, on what the team hope can still be a championship run.
The importance of Booker and Durant is obvious, so let's instead go in another direction with this and pick out the three players who have beaten the competition on this roster to make themselves invaluable to head coach Frank Vogel. None are untouchable - but at this precarious moment in time - the organization can't afford to lose any one of them.
3. Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon has turned into an even more dependable role player and veteran than the Suns anticipated when they signed him to a two-year, $6.5 million deal this offseason. The logic behind getting Gordon was a sound one - add a player who can knock down a three-pointer, has played in some big games and who can defend a few different positions on the court.
Much like Durant, many fans would have also assumed that the true value of Gordon was not going to be seen until the playoffs next year. But through 22 games, Gordon has only missed two contests and has started 16 of them for the team. His 32.1 minutes per night the fourth most of anybody on the roster.
I just watched 48 minutes of Eric Gordon being LeBron primary defender
— ßerris 🧀 (@boxmethen) December 6, 2023
Obviously the inability of Beal to get on the court has led to Gordon getting more minutes, but he has reacted accordingly. His 14.6 points per game the second most he has averaged since the 2019-20 season, while the 40.9 percent from deep is up on his career average of 37.2 percent. To do so on 6.9 attempts per game - the most since 2020-21 - is another real plus for the Suns.
The team likely didn't want a player with well over 800 regular season games to his name to be this important this early on. But Gordon continues to gobble up the minutes left behind by whichever star isn't playing, and he's putting up a serviceable amount of points in return. Defensively he's performed like he always has, and has been a great two-way presence for this team.
2. Jusuf Nurkic
As has been mentioned already, everybody owes center Jusuf Nurkic an apology for how he has played with the Suns up to this point. So much so, that they wouldn't be the team that they are on both ends if Nurkic wasn't on the roster. Offensively his talents lie in passing, screening and cutting and feeding off the scraps left behind by his more illustrious teammates.
On the defensive end, it has gone better than the Suns could have hoped for. Coach Vogel deserves some credit for this - and to be sure Nurkic still gets cooked by opponents on some nights - but he is holding his own on a level that has allowed the team to be competitive without their stars pouring in 30 points each game. He's also provided some unexpected comedic relief for the group as well.
The Suns rank 19th in defensive rating (113.9) right now, but that number is a healthier 111.9 when Nurkic is on the court. That would be good for a top 10 defense, while the offensive rating of 118.8 Nurkic possesses gives him a net rating of 6.9 that again, many fans did not think was possible once he landed in The Valley in exchange for Deandre Ayton.
Most impressively of all however, is that fact that Nurkic - alongside Jordan Goodwin - has played in every single game for the team so far. He's also the only player who has started every game, with his 28 minutes per game up on the 26.8 of a season ago. Given Goodwin plays 17.1 minutes each night, it is a testament to how important Nurkic has become and how crucial it is he has avoided injury.
1. Grayson Allen
As fantastic as Nurkic has been for this team - he is still not on the level of Grayson Allen - which is really saying something about how important he has become to the Suns in such a short space of time. Allen was missing for the Suns' recent loss to the Sacramento Kings, and the rotation really felt his absence.
Allen has started all 19 games in which he has played, quickly putting to bed any thoughts that he would be this roster's sixth man. His 33.1 minutes per night is easily a career high, and so too are the 12.3 points and 2.9 assists per game. The 3-point shooting of Allen is where he really excels however, and he has added a different dimension to the roster.
With Yuta Watanabe struggling badly for consistency this season, Allen has stepped up to the tune of hitting a career high 46.8 percent of his attempts from deep. He has achieved this on just shy of five attempts per game, while on the defensive end he is far from a slouch and at this rate is probably underrated in that area.
At 33.1 minutes per game, Allen currently trails only Durant and Booker for time on the court each night, and he has done the best job he possibly could have in making up for the fact Beal has been limited to only three games because of injury. Allen is a free agent next summer, and he is having the kind of season for a fringe contender that will see him earn a nice contract starting next season.