Predicting the Phoenix Suns' starting lineup on opening night

Power Forward - Kevin Durant

Nobody is going to take this spot from Durant as long as he is in Phoenix, and with good reason. If anything the hope is that he spends even less time at the center position, even if he ended up being a capable backup in spot minutes last season, particularly on the defensive end.

Durant was fantastic last season - his consistency amid a turbulent season was relied on heavily - and as long as he is with the Suns, they have a chance to win. It will be interesting to see how coach Budenholzer uses the superstar. Last time out his 27.1 points per game was less than a point less than two of the four occasions he won the scoring title in the past.

If anything the move here for the Suns might be leaning even more heavily into Durant as he continues to stretch out his prime in impressive fashion. Suiting up for Team USA showed us that he's capable of being a leading man, especially once the postseason rolls around.

Just as important, Booker had no problem in being a role player while on national duty. The Suns want him to be much more than that - he might be the best player in franchise history - but the fact he can defer to others but also have an impact in important games is a massively underrated skill. Really the problem here though will be trying not to play Durant too much.