Suns Offense is Ready to Dominate the NBA
The Phoenix Suns offense that fans expected to see coming into the season has seemingly arrived - approximately 50 games into the season.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst went to the lengths of saying that the Suns could end up being one of the best offenses the league has ever seen prior to the beginning of the regular season.
While the raw stats for the 2023-24 campaign will be dragged down by an inconsistent start, the last month of Phoenix's big three being together have yielded results that are nearly unheard of.
Let's start at the surface of individual contributors.
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker both rank within the top 10 in the NBA for points per game. That figure along should open eyes - recent duos to achieve that feat include Durant and former teammate Stephen Curry, along with LeBron James/Anthony Davis on the title-winning Los Angeles Lakers squad just a few seasons ago.
The support pieces are what turn the Suns from a great offense to a potentially historic one.
Bradley Beal has eased into his role as a proverbial Swiss army knife after being less than three years removed from averaging 30 points a contest.
The star combo guard has been effective in nearly every role he's been handed - catch/shoot threat, three-level scorer, initiator, and more - all while being tasked with playing multiple roles a game on occasion.
Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon have both been instrumental in the offense as well.
Gordon and Allen are both on pace to be in the ballpark of 200 made three-pointers this season while also being valuable connectors to the offense. Both have also proven to possess the ability to get to the hoop, albeit in smaller volume.
The two wing threats have added a new layer to the offense that completely raises the ceiling of the output the offense going forward.
Jusuf Nurkic has been unheralded as well - the Bosnian Beast has become a much stronger finisher as the season has progressed, while also being one of the best passing bigs in the NBA.
Long story short, the puzzle pieces have started to fit together as was envisioned over the summer.
Let's get more into the minutiae of the offensive eruption now.
According to Zach Kram of The Ringer about a week ago, the Suns offense has been historically great since Beal's return to the lineup:
"When Beal, Booker, and Durant share the court, the Suns are scoring 135.7 points per 100 possessions, which ranks in the 100th percentile compared to all lineups with at least 100 possessions played. They have a plus-25.1 net rating, also in the 100th percentile.
"They rarely turn the ball over, generate gobs of free throws, and have a 63 percent effective field goal rate; for reference, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are at 62 percent this season.
"The Suns with their Big Three are essentially the best shooters from every spot on the court."
Phoenix ranks in the 85th percentile or higher in the NBA in field goal percentage when the big three shares the court - the Suns' poor fourth quarter performance against the Orlando Magic may have skewed these numbers, but 136 and 131 point outbursts in the last week have likely negated the flat performance.
At the end of the day, much of the Suns' offensive success recently can be attributed to a more balanced shot diet as a team, continuity continuing to build, and more diverse offensive sets being drawn up by associate head coach Kevin Young among other factors.
While the Suns' offense may never reach the heights of a team such as the dynastic Golden State Warriors, the product we're finally seeing on a consistent basis could be a scary sight for the rest of the NBA going forward.
The Sun is finally rising in Phoenix.
