Suns may be missing up to three players for season opener vs Clippers

The Phoenix Suns begin their 2024-25 campaign - a season in which we think they'll go 51-31 - with a double-header of nationally televised games in Los Angeles. First up are the Clippers, who do not look like the fearsome prospect of even four months ago.

Paul George has left for the Philadelphia 76ers, while Kawhi Leonard may as well be down as "day-to-day" for the rest of his career. James Harden can still have elite nights at 35-years-old, but going back to his Houston Rockets days of high usage and running the show offensively should play into the hands of the Suns.

Sadly they may be missing up to three players themselves for the game.

Already we know that Josh Okogie is going to sit with a right hamstring strain, which is in stark contrast to 12 months ago when he actually started the first game of the campaign for this team. That was never going to happen this time around - the Suns' starting five has been known for a while now - but this is an early blow for his chances of earning regular minutes.

Rookie Ryan Dunn has looked like the real deal, with fans eager to see him given an opportunity to impress early on in the season. Mikal Bridges might be struggling with his jumpshot in New York, but early indications are that Dunn might actually be an impactful two-way player much earlier than expected for the franchise.

There are currently no other Suns who are certain to miss the game, but a pair of Okogie's teammates are down as probable. That would be Damion Lee and Grayson Allen - although in the case of Lee - it is unclear at this point if he wouldn't have received a DNP from head coach Mik Budenholzer anyway.

It is hard not to feel sorry for Lee - he missed all of last season with a meniscus injury that required surgery - but these are unfortunately the niggles that crop up after such a devastating injury. He's even less likely to crack the second unit than Okogie - who if nothing else is at least a trade asset - while Lee is in on the veteran's minimum and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Allen though is the real concern, and the hope is that he can come through the right achilles soreness that has him probable (Lee's issue is left hamstring soreness). This is supposed to be the beginning of a run that could see him get genuine Sixth Man of the Year buzz, and it is a role he was only too happy to take after the organization added Tyus Jones.

Last year's league leader in 3-point shooting percentage at 46.1 percent also bulked up considerably over the summer, which could create new ways for coach Budenholzer to use him. A small ball four who can stretch the court perhaps, while the prospect of some offensive sets featuring Allen in different ways around his All-Star level teammates is also exciting.

Even if none of these guys play, the Suns should still have enough to beat the Clippers in what will be the first game in their new arena. As for their next outing against the Los Angeles Lakers? Their win over the Minnesota Timberwolves was impressive, and they look like they could surprise some people this season. Definitely wouldn't hurt to have Allen available for that one.