The Phoenix Suns are coming off a disappointing 2023-24 campaign after suffering an early exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite this, the team isn’t lacking in confidence ahead of the new season.
Former NBA big man and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins recently explained why Phoenix Suns fans should be optimistic in 2024-25 since he described their team as the “dark horse” to win it all.
“We saw a disgruntled, unhappy Kevin Durant average 27 points last year, and he wasn’t seeing eye to eye with Frank Vogel. Now he’s coming in, a fresh start, fresh off of winning a gold medal. We saw the joy that he was playing with,” Perkins explained on NBA on ESPN.
“Now he has Mike Budenholzer over there. Bradley Beal is happy. We saw how great Devin Booker looked in the Olympics. And they filled in the pieces,” he added.
The Phoenix Suns didn’t make any franchise-altering moves this offseason. However, they did strengthen their second unit with the additions of Tyus Jones, Monte Morris, and Mason Plumlee while re-signing Josh Okogie, Royce O’Neale, Bol Bol, and Damion Lee to new contracts.
Phoenix Suns open their preseason with consecutive wins
The Phoenix Suns secured a 118-114 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and a 105-97 victory against the Detroit Pistons.
The Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal only played 14 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers, combining for 29 points. But against the Detroit Pistons, the trio had 43 points total, with Durant leading the way with 21.
Key free agent signing Tyus Jones is getting along well with his new team, as he had nine points and six assists against Los Angeles. The former Washington Wizards guard followed it up with seven points and seven assists against Detroit.
