Suns Who Can Thrive Under New HC Mike Budenholzer

The Phoenix Suns have officially ushered in a new era lead by Mike Budenholzer.

The franchise announced the official hire of the 2021 NBA champion in a statement on Saturday morning - and now is the time to move quickly towards already preparing for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

One of the most pressing topics to address is how to maximize the current roster in place - changes will obviously will be made, but limited flexibility will lead to the majority of the roster being retained.

There are three players in particular who could be empowered in the new offensive system, but who are they?

Kevin Durant

Budenholzer saw the full powers of Kevin Durant unleashed in the 2021 East semifinals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Durant's former team in the Brooklyn Nets.

Durant averaged 35.4 PPG during the seven-game series - and was arguably inches away from a series-clinching basket in the aformentioned Game 7.

One of the major headlines of Durant's career has been his head coaches of the past being unable to consistently unleash the most out of him within an offensive system - and Budenholzer very well could be the one to buck this trend.

Eric Gordon

This is obviously assuming Gordon returns for next season.

Gordon somewhat faltered over the latter parts of the 2023-24 season, but was overall a positive contributor in Phoenix - and he could be utilized in a similar fashion to how Mike D'Antoni did with the Houston Rockets.

Hopefully the Budenholzer hire convinces Gordon to stay - and both parties can find a better way forward.

Royce O'Neale

Again, this is assuming the Suns re-up O'Neale - as they should.

O'Neale has done a quality job of building up a strong resume behind the backdrop of coming into the league as an under-the-radar prospect, but has once again arguably been the victim of suboptimal circumstances in playoff settings.

Perhaps Budenholzer will find more creative ways to boost his impact in high leverage moments - because O'Neale is a quality role player that can truly be a difference maker for this franchise.