Did the Phoenix Suns actually improve this summer?

The Phoenix Suns were one of the most involved teams at the start of free agency this summer. The Suns quickly identified what they needed to do to return to being competitive. They still retained a few key players, with the Big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal still intact.

Last season, they had a decent group spearheaded by their star trio. However, their approach wasn't notable since they took the more unconventional route in building their roster. They lacked a point guard and felt discouraging aftereffects in the postseason.

Booker, Durant and Beal were also plagued with injuries (mostly Beal). Together, they only played 41 games, which wasn't enough time to get a feel of each other on the court.

With the moves the Suns made this summer, many are curious if it's enough for them to contend in the Western Conference.

We'll look at the major changes Phoenix made this summer, from the coaches to the players they signed.

Coaching

The Suns quickly dismissed Frank Vogel after just one season with the team. Even though Vogel led the team to a better record a season before his arrival, the front office wasn't convinced the fit was right. The Valley finished with a 49-33 record, an improvement from their 45-37 record a season before.

It also didn't help that the Suns were swept in the first round, despite having three excellent offensive stars. The Arizona-based team searched for a different coach shortly after letting Vogel go, which led them to hire Mike Budenholzer.

Like Vogel, Coach Bud is a champion and a well-respected mind around the league. Ironically, he was coaching the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals, the team that prevented the Suns from winning its first-ever title.

Looking at their coaching record, Vogel has coached more games, 902. Bud, on the other hand, has coached 801 games in his career. But he's got a better winning percentage of 60.4%, higher than Vogel's 53.2%. The former Bucks head coach has been consistent with how he has led his teams before. He finished at the top of his team's division six times, five with Milwaukee and one with the Atlanta Hawks.

Vogel, meanwhile, only experienced such a feat three times.

While many believe in both coaches, Coach Bud takes the edge. He's a consistent winner and always has a plan when the going gets tough. It's also impressive that he convinced the Suns' front office to sign point guards to the team, which is what Vogel tried to do last season. That move alone is a testament to Bud's willingness to improve the team.

The Suns also signed David Fizdale, a proven coach around the league, and former players Brent Barry and James Posey as part of the coaching staff.

Key additions

The Suns addressed their shortage of point guards from the previous season quickly. On the sixth day of free agency, the team signed Monte Morris to a veteran minimum deal. This was satisfying as fans wanted an experienced point guard to play with the Big 3. Morris previously played for the Washington Wizards as a backup point guard. He only played 27 games as he dealt with injuries, but is an experienced player that will fit well with the others.

The front office followed it up by signing Mason Plumlee to a deal. Plumdog Millionaire played for the LA Clippers last season and appeared in 46 games. He's past his athletic prime but Plumlee is still an effective big man. The center is also a better backup compared to Drew Eubanks, who left during the summer.

Although the first two signings weren't as impactful as other teams' moves, they helped the team improve their roster.

After the signings of the veteran players, the Suns were quiet for a few weeks before adding another player to their team. Phoenix signed Tyus Jones to a deal and became the team's starting point guard. He spent the previous year as the Wizards' starting lead guard, averaging 12.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists.

The experience he had over at Washington will help him navigate the Suns next season.

Retained players

The signings that the Suns had during free agency improved their roster, especially their backcourt. But they also got to keep some of the key players they had the previous year.

The Valley noticed the value that Royce O'Neale can offer after trading for him last season. This offseason, the team agreed to re-sign him to a four-year, $44 million deal. The Suns also re-signed Damion Lee, who didn't play a game last season as he was recovering from his meniscus injury.

Phoenix can see a future with Bol Bol, who was re-signed over the summer. Bol only played 43 games last season and didn't leave a lasting impression. But there's hope that he might get more playing time in his second season with the Suns. Following that, the front office re-signed Josh Okogie to a two-year, $16 million deal.

Okogie was impressive at the start of last season but fell off from the rotation. Given that he couldn't offer much offensively, Vogel didn't see many chances for him to thrive. But there's hope that he can find his footing again under Budenholzer.

Verdict

With the moves the Suns made this summer, they're trying to fix what was wrong last season. And they were successful in addressing the problems they had last season. They finally acquired a point guard to get the ball out of their Big 3 and re-signed valued role players.

They're now ready to take on another season and try to contend for a title with an improved team. Phoenix experienced a plethora of struggles last season and that was important for them to learn what they need the next time around.

To answer the question, yes. The Suns improved during the offseason.