The Suns, glowing up

The promised Budenholzer changes are already shining

Preseason NBA is mostly meaningless. Coaches try things just for fun, NBA players aren’t used in the way they will be in the regular season, rotations are out of whack, etc. But “mostly” isn’t the same as “entirely,” and there are always kernels to glean.

In particular, the Phoenix Suns caught my eye with their offensive overhaul. Phoenix hasn’t shot the ball particularly well in the preseason, but the difference in movement and shot selection has been notable. The Suns look practically unrecognizable on offense despite a familiar cast; like a teen-movie glow-up, they’ve let their hair down and removed their glasses.

Let’s start with the obvious. 35% of Phoenix’s shot attempts were from three in the regular season last year; that number’s been 46% through two preseason games. We’re nowhere near statistical significance, but directionally, that’s about as good as it gets.

It’s been particularly noteworthy for Durant, Beal, and Booker, who have shot far more threes on a per-minute basis than they did last season:

(For what it’s worth, Durant and Beal, in particular, are shooting more than they did last preseason, too.)

What we’ve seen of new coach Mike Budenholzer’s offensive system, so long anchored around the unique talents of Giannis Antetokounmpo, more resembles a modernized version of what he did in his Atlanta Hawks days. Stars are screening for each other, shooters are flying around off-ball, and the action is more purposeful. Some credit goes to Tyus Jones and Monte Morris for bringing their typically steady floor-general chops, but there are more moving parts in the offense than there used to be.

More creative concepts, as well. This season, I’m paying close attention to how offenses weaponize “dead corners” (corners in which defenses help aggressively off of a non-shooter), so this play caught my eye:

Mason Plumlee, a non-shooting center, starts in the top corner. Defenses live for that, as it means they can station a big man (Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart, in this case) by the basket to protect the paint.

But Phoenix uses that to their advantage. Bradley Beal sets an on-ball screen, then rolls to the rim, drawing Stewart’s attention. Meanwhile, Plumlee sets a screen for Devin Booker on the wing right as Booker receives the pass, opening up the corner for a quick pull-up three.

The timing isn’t quite right, and Stewart and Pistons rookie Ron Holland (also having an impressive preseason!) do a good job defending, so Booker misses. It’s still a clever little action.

Booker seems to be at the crux of everything Bud wants to do. His versatility has been an underrated part of his game for years, but this season, he’ll get to show off the full depth of his arsenal. I’m particularly intrigued by the Booker short-roll sequences. He can screen for the ballhandler, catch on the short roll, and then attack the basket or spray to a shooter. His decision-making has been quick:

I must also discuss the Suns’ rookies, big wing Ryan Dunn and center Oso Ighodaro. Dunn was an elite defender in college, but questions about his shot dropped him to the very bottom of the first round. So far, he’s looked confident and competent on both ends. This sequence starts with Dunn ripping the ball from Cade Cunningham’s hands like he’s taking candy from a giant, max-contract baby and ends with him casually stepping into a pull-up three on the other:

Dunn is 5-for-11 from deep in 40 preseason minutes. Scared shooters don’t fire up that many shots, even in the preseason. I’d be shocked if he sniffs 40% as a rookie, but even 35% on decent volume would blow away expectations like yet another Gulf hurricane. Regardless, he couldn’t have started much better.

Second-round pick Ighodaro has been impressive in his time with the backups, particularly as a playmaker. He likely won’t get too much playing time if Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee are healthy, but he looks ready for real-time NBA minutes if needed (and may push Plumlee, who has struggled in the preseason). His ability to read the floor and make the right pass will help him replicate Nurkic’s strengths if he needs to step in (Oghodaro’s accumulated nine assists in just two preseason games, making several advanced reads along the way).

The Suns have reasonable depth, but they don’t have much youth, athleticism, or wing size. I’ll be curious to see how much run the rookies earn in the regular season.

There are plenty of questions still to be answered. The pick-and-roll defense has not been good, and the team’s lack of size at the top end of the rotation remains problematic. We haven’t seen what Jusuf Nurkic looks like in the new system; he was an integral part of the team on both sides last year, but he’ll be featured as a playmaking hub less often, which may limit his offensive effectiveness. Previous preseasons have seen changes implemented (although not to this extent!) that faded once the grind of the regular season sets in.

But there’s a lot to like in these two games. Phoenix players have plenty of time to figure stuff out and rework muscle memory. The overall process looks far more promising. Last year’s Suns ranked ninth on offense in the regular season; this year’s group should push hard for a top-five mark.

The offensive creativity that coach Bud and staff have shown and the buy-in we’re seeing from players could take this team to a new level, one in which they look more like the Western Contender they were supposed to be than first-round cannon fodder.