Phoenix Suns Unveil New Starting Lineup

There was plenty of information to pick through from 2024’s NBA Media Day. Among the most notable tidbits was the Phoenix Suns unveiling their new starting lineup for the 2024-25 season. Free agent signing Tyus Jones will join Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Jusuf Nurkić to form a team that hopes to compete in the Western Conference.

The decision to start Jones is a bit of a surprise. as it will move Grayson Allen to a reserve role. Allen started 74 games for the Suns last year and enjoyed his best year as a pro. The former Blue Devil shot a blistering 46.1-percent on threes, leading the league in that category. His spacing was a necessity next to Phoenix’s three offensive stars. Additionally, Allen often took on the most difficult perimeter defense matchup among the starters. Moving him to a reserve role will potentially put more pressure on Phoenix’s offensive stars to battle on the defensive end.

Some might feel slighted if they were in Allen’s position coming off a season like he did. Instead, Allen reportedly welcomes the move. In fact, Suns coach Mike Budenholzer commented that Allen recruited his former Duke teammate with the understanding that signing Jones would force a move to the bench.

While Jones doesn’t provide the three-point shooting volume of Allen, his skill set is vital in the starting lineup. The Suns have lacked a “true” point guard since Chris Paul’s departure. Beal and Booker are capable playmakers but are scorers first. Jones should make it easier on everyone given his pass-first mentality. He’s a great distributor while also excellent at limiting turnovers. Last season, Jones averaged 7.3 APG with just 1.0 TOPG. The Suns averaged the sixth most turnovers in the league last season — the five teams that averaged more all missed the playoffs.

Taking Allen out of the starting lineup means that one of the most mid-range-focused teams in the league will have to start hoisting up some more threes. Phoenix ranked 25th in three-point attempts per game last year. Part of the reason why Phoenix chose Budenholzer over other candidates is his offensive scheme generates a flurry of three-point attempts.

In 10 years as a head coach (with Atlanta and Milwaukee), only one of Budenholzer’s teams finished out of the top-8 in three-point attempts (2017 Hawks). In his last two seasons with the Bucks, the team finished in the top-5. Durant has always been elite from every spot on the floor. We don’t expect his game to change much. Beal has shied away from threes in recent years but is coming off a career-high 43-percent from beyond the arc. Booker hasn’t shot it as well as his reputation may indicate in recent years, but we could expect his volume to rise.

Of course, Allen will still figure to be a major part of the rotation and enters the season as a prime candidate to win Sixth Man of the Year. The Suns are looking to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2021. They certainly have the talent to make a deep postseason run, but finding out the correct configuration will be key to their success.