4. Bol Bol
You could make the case that Bol Bol should top this list because on the surface, he will have never played for a coach like Bud before. The only reason the enigmatic big man does not is because he may not be on the team next season, although there are early indications that Bol will come back to The Valley.
It was a minor miracle that he managed to get playing time under coach Vogel, because of how he is known for creating elite defensive schemes. Bol is anything but on that end of the court, although he carved out a nice little role for himself away from the paint, where his ridiculous frame could harass third and fourth scoring options.
The Suns would like to re-sign Bol Bol, who could receive a more consistent role under new head coach Mike Budenholzer.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 22, 2024
Bol averaged 5.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 10.9 minutes per game.
Bol shot 42.3% on threes, and that could be explored further within… pic.twitter.com/X6xjCBTJ3Q
Bol has already proved he is capable of playing regular season minutes, and Budenholzer may go one step further and feature him even more in the offense. Bol might get the odd play called for him, and his combination of length, shooting ability and handles are the kind of intriguing prospect coach Bud is going to have a field day with.
He's not going to start - but if he can show some scoring consistency like last season - Bol can finally slot into the second unit on a more permanent basis. As it was he was playing 20 minutes one night, then getting benched altogether the next. Budenholzer could turn the player into a legitimate weapon on a fringe contender, which would be huge for his career.