Inside The Suns

Suns Trades Could Make Uneasy Offense

The Phoenix Suns trades make it to where the team could struggle on offense next season.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker dribbles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker dribbles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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The Phoenix Suns are picking up the pieces after a lot of changes on the offensive side of the ball for the upcoming season.

Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz thinks the Suns will struggle on offense this season as they adjust to the new normal.

"The Suns struggled to score with Kevin Durant off the court last year (112.3 rating, 37th percentile) and waived Bradley Beal, who averaged 17.0 points on nearly 50 percent shooting," Swartz wrote.

"Booker isn't a true point guard but will be forced to play the position again with Tyus Jones leaving in free agency and Green as the starting two-guard. There's not a lot of playmaking on this roster, no matter how much Booker has improved."

Even though there is some pessimism surrounding the Suns offense, there is reason to believe things could change for the upcoming season.

"Despite a disappointing season, the Phoenix Suns finished a respectable 13th in offense last season and still have Devin Booker in the prime of his career. Booker averaged a career-high 7.1 assists a game last season to go along with his 25.6 points," Swartz wrote.

"Jalen Green has a ton of untapped offensive potential after leading the Houston Rockets in scoring last year (21.0 points per game) and the center position should be much better with the additions of Mark Williams and rookie Khaman Maluach."

The fit between Booker and Green could be a little awkward, but the latter is a former No. 2 overall pick. He is someone who could be a microwave scorer, but he will need to coexist with Booker as the primary offensive piece.

Green is perhaps the X-factor for the Suns offense. If he can figure out a way to average 20 points per game like he did with the Houston Rockets, the Suns will be in a decent spot.


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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.