5. Grayson Allen
On the surface it seems obvious why Grayson Allen is going to flourish under coach Budenholzer. He played under him in Milwaukee, and so is a known commodity to the coach. It is a bit more complicated than that however - because Allen was ultimately moved by the Bucks - although it did get them Damian Lillard so it makes sense why they let him go.
Muddying the waters further and Allen wasn't with the team when they won a championship back in 2021. Surely then this is a player who may actually end up being pushed to the fringes by Budenholzer, as a result of crossing paths with the coach at not quite the right time us to this point.
For all of you point guard merchants, here’s Grayson Allen today when asked if the team needs a traditional PG.
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) April 29, 2024
He says it’s also important for the ball to be in Booker, Beal, and Durant’s hands. Adding a point guard to the lineup would affect that. pic.twitter.com/dH4CtbzE5T
That makes sense, but the reality is Allen just turned in the best season of his career last time out, and was a legitimate help to the Suns while Beal was out with his array of injuries. He also led the league in 3-point shooting at 46.1 percent during the regular season, although he went cold in the Timberwolves series.
Still, Allen is a player who can handle the ball more than Budenholzer likely remembers, and who can step into a bigger role when required. Defensively the former NCAA champion may even be underrated at this point. Besides, Allen only inked a new four-year, $80 million deal prior to the playoffs beginning, so Budenholzer really has to make it work with the deadeye wing.