The 2024-25 NBA season schedule was released to eager fans on Thursday, and right away there was a ton for Phoenix Suns fans in particular to get through. They are going to see a ton of this particular star during the opening month, and it'll be a meeting with the Denver Nuggets on Christmas Day.
Any roster featuring Kevin Durant and Devin Booker is going to feature heavily on Opening Week, and it should come as no surprise that the Suns are right in the mix there too. Last season might have ended with a whimper, but the Suns are still rightly seen as a big draw by the league.
With the full schedule now out for all to see, these are three games you better not miss.
The hope will be that the Suns can win more than 49 games this coming season - no easy feat - and go on an actual playoff run as well. Get the upper hand in the following games, and head coach Mike Budenholzer and his motley crew will be well on their way to achieving that goal.
February 20th at San Antonio Spurs
This one is going to be cool for a whole host of reasons. Let's not forget the Spurs handed the Suns two of their first four losses of last season, and they also have a player in Victor Wembanyama who will be out for revenge against Durant and Booker.
It was Wembanyama's tears that preceded Team USA getting the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris, and he is looking as frightening as ever. These two sides will have already met in December in Phoenix, which in theory is when the Suns will come face-to-face with one of their former players in Chris Paul.
The Suns play 17 total road games in January and February with one being in a familiar place for Kevin Durant.
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) August 15, 2024
Austin.
Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs at the University of Texas where Durant played college ball.
TNT broadcast. Moody Center. #Suns pic.twitter.com/sQaRGRslJU
But the added intrigue here is in the fact this game will take place in Austin. You know, the place where Durant played his college ball. There's bound to be plenty of Durant fans in attendance for that one - and when combined with the Wembanyama and Paul factors - it is a game that promises fireworks against what is sure to be an improved Spurs outfit.
April 4th at Boston Celtics
This game should need no introduction, because it is the single occasion when the Suns will visit the Boston Celtics all season. It comes at a fascinating time in the calendar, as at that point the Suns could be well out of contention.
On the other hand though, they could be primed for a playoff run and a victory in the house of the defending champions would be huge for morale. It might sound naive to say - and there's no doubt the Celtics were worthy champions last season - but the Suns could have made that series closer than their sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With the Celtics now eliminated from the playoffs we can pose the question, did Devin Booker have a better postseason than Jayson Tatum? (✍🏻 @ValleyoftheSuns)https://t.co/fHvxuqsazL
— Luke Duffy (@LucaLockheart) May 30, 2023
On paper it looks a more favorable matchup for the team, but this will be a chance for them to back up any belief they have that they can be champs. The fact Durant could have joined the Celtics in the past is always a fun angle, and now would be a great time for Bradley Beal to be the ideal third option he was at the same stage in 2023-24.
The other interesting wrinkle is Booker versus Jayson Tatum. Although Tatum now has a ring, there's no doubt Booker overtook him in the minds of a lot of fans during that run to Olympic Gold. While Tatum was picking up DNPs, Booker was out there in crunch time making plays and being involved. There will be fireworks.
November 17th at Minnesota Timberwolves
You get the sense the league knows what it is doing putting this one on a Sunday. This will be the first meeting between the two sides since that postseason hammering, and it will be taking place in the home of the Timberwolves.
At that point the Suns will have played 13 games - with the previous match an NBA Cup game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder - and this will be the true litmus test to see how good the Suns can be. They kept their core trio of stars together this summer - as well as key guys like Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen - and they all felt the pain of defeat to this opponent last season.
Anthony Edwards appeared to have an amazing time with Durant at the Olympics. So much so that Suns fans were perhaps scared that Durant's head could be turned by what might just be the next face of the league. Make no mistake though on this night, the pair will not be friends.
If the Suns enter this game some way above .500 and they manage to carve out a win against the Timberwolves, then it really is game on for the rest of the season. If they arrive having stuttered and are once again given a beat down by Edwards and company, then serious questions are going to have to be asked about the direction of the entire franchise. No pressure then.