While the Phoenix Suns’ starting lineup has plenty of firepower with Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and new addition Miles Bridges, it’s actually the second unit in The Valley that’s poised to be the team’s secret weapon.
Barring a big rotational shift to start Collin Gillespie and move Jalen Green into a sixth-man role, which at least right now doesn’t seem to be the plan, the reworked bench in Phoenix has tremendous potential. If opponents think they’ll get a respite when the starters head for a rest, there’s a great chance a Gillespie-led second unit can put together a streaky offensive performance to either build leads or get the Suns back into games.
Suns' bench has pieces poised to surprise
Although the Suns parted ways with sharpshooters Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale in the Bridges trade, GM Brian Gregory acted quickly to address outside shooting by bringing Luke Kennard into the fold. Kennard now figures to be a mainstay in the team’s second unit alongside the likes of Gillespie and backup big man Oso Ighodaro — a trio that could prove lethal if they develop team chemistry.
“I think (Kennard), Collin Gillespie and Oso in that second unit are going to be really hard for opponents to guard just because of all the movement and basketball IQ out there,” Gerald Bourguet of Suns After Dark said on the Third Apron Podcast. “Some of the quick-hitting actions and movement shooting that Gillespie and Kennard can do with a playmaking big like Oso … that will be fun to watch.”
It’s easy to see the vision. Kennard led the league in 3-point efficiency with a 47.8 percent clip from deep last season, and Gillespie wasn’t far behind at 40.1 percent while setting a new Suns record for 3-point makes in a season. Either of those guys coming off Ighodaro screens will keep defenses on their toes, forcing them not to drop back and allow open 3-point looks.
Add in Dan Majerle Hustle Award winner Jordan Goodwin, one of the offseason’s more underrated signings, and the second unit gets even more dangerous.
Goodwin was the best offensive rebounding guard in basketball a season ago, finishing 15th among qualified players in offensive rebound rate, with all 14 guys ahead of him being centers. His own outside shooting was solid at 37.1 percent, but the offensive board-crashing to create extra possessions and easy reload looks for Gillespie and Kennard is deadly on paper.
As opposing defenses get disjointed following a Goody offensive board, he can kick the ball back out to phenomenal shooters before the defense can react.
Kennard's shooting will be among the most crucial aspects
In theory, those added possessions will also help Kennard address a key aspect of his game: shooting more 3-pointers. Though he led the league in 3-point percentage a season ago, Kennard averaged just 3.1 attempts per game from long range — ranking him tied for 132nd in the sport. As Bourguet said, “that’s not really going to cut it,” calling Kennard a low-volume shooter.
If the Suns are going to make up for the loss of 3-point shooting via the departed O’Neale and Allen (371 triples combined), Kennard is going to have to up his attempts from long range. Second-chance opportunities from Goody can provide those looks.
At the power forward spot, the Suns can either go with Rasheer Fleming to add more defensive length or rookie Koa Peat to play around with inside-out offensive sets that could exhaust opponents while giving Phoenix plenty of scoring opportunities on 2-pointers or beyond the arc.
“Honestly the fit of the second unit makes a lot more sense to me than the starting lineup for the Suns right now,” Bourguet said with a laugh.
While Suns fans should expect more of the same from Booker and Brooks, it’s less clear what the team will be getting from the new addition, Bridges, and a (hopefully) fully healthy Green in the starting five.
If nothing else, the second unit appears poised to wreak havoc on opposing defenses when the starters need a breather — depth that will be extremely important throughout the 82-game regular season grind.
Add us as a preferred source on Google