The Phoenix Suns have had a quiet yet effective offseason so far, managing to fill out their roster despite the limitations of being in the second apron. A combination of the veteran's minimum and the NBA Draft allowing them to add what they hope will be some quality to the back end of their rotation.
The departed Eric Gordon will be missed by the organization, although the same likely cannot be said of former backup big, Drew Eubanks. But to get a point guard in Monte Morris, an upgrade at the backup five spot in Mason Plumlee and a pair of promising rookies in Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro has kept fans onside after a disappointing 2023-24 playoff appearance.
Now the hard work begins for head coach Mike Budenholzer though, as he has some difficult questions he will need to answer before the new season begins.
Coach Bud certainly has a different personality and approach to former leading man Frank Vogel, and that will profit some of the guys in the rotation. Devin Booker for example is likely to see his role become more of the elite scorer we've seen in the past, and less the facilitator he was forced to be last season. How coach Budenholzer approaches everything else though, is of massive importance.
4. What to do with Bol Bol
The career of Bol Bol continues to be enigmatic, and entering his sixth season there will continue to be question marks around what exactly he can bring to this version of the Suns' roster. Last year was the first time he ever found consistency in a role for a team, and there's no doubt fans and teammates alike love him.
Also working in Bol's favor is a more offensive-minded head coach who should in theory get the best out of his unique skills. Look beyond the nice pairing of coach and player though, and it gets murkier. Bol isn't a traditional center, and so he won't be taking minutes from Plumlee or starter Jusuf Nurkic.
Bol Bol. pic.twitter.com/drw1oCzbvP
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 7, 2024
He's also still a dreadful defender, and so both Dunn and Ighodaro could steal some of his precious minutes by virtue of being able to come in and help right away on that end. Throw in the returning Josh Okogie and Royce O'Neale, and suddenly Bol is getting squeezed out of the second five on this roster.
There also still exists this nagging feeling that - if you're playing Bol big minutes - then you're either not at full strength or just trying something different in hopes of winning a few minutes of a game. With Bol puzzlingly not playing for South Sudan again, this time at the Olympics no less, it will be fascinating to see how coach Bud uses a guy who came back expecting a role with this group.