The beginning of the NBA season is finally here, and with Phoenix Suns opening night upon us, all eyes will be watching to see the debut of the Suns' new big three: Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. Though Beal will be out due to injury, this new-look team will still have a lot to prove against a fellow Western Conference contender in the Golden State Warriors.
Ahead of the Suns-Warriors game, here are two bold predictions for Suns opening night.
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Jusuf Nurkic is the center Phoenix needed
While DeAndre Ayton provided many excellent years for the Phoenix Suns down low, it became clear that after consecutive exits in the Western Conference Semifinals, Ayton was probably not the guy who could lead the Suns back to the NBA Finals. The issue with Ayton was not his level of production (he averaged 18 PPG and 10 RPG in his final season in Arizona), but rather his involvement within the Suns' offense.
Ayton required significant touches to be an effective player. With the likes of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant as the primary scoring threats, there was simply not enough of the ball to sustain all three players. Ayton was also not a passing threat, which allowed defenses to close down on Ayton and not worry about Durant or Booker when he had the ball. With the addition of Bradley Beal in the backcourt, the Suns had even less need for a scorer like DeAndre Ayton.
Jusuf Nurkic, acquired from the Portland Trailblazers in the three-team trade that also sent Ayton to Portland, is more willing to be a role player who can function effectively within the Phoenix offense. To begin, Nurkic is a strong passer, averaging 3.1 assists per game during his last five years in the Pacific Northwest. He can also stretch the floor, hitting 36.1% of his threes on 119 attempts last year. Ayton has attempted just 80 threes in his career, making 26.1% of them. While Nurkic has had trouble staying healthy in recent years, expect him to be at his best on opening night against the Golden State Warriors.
The Suns' offense functions better without Bradley Beal against the Warriors
Getting rid of DeAndre Ayton was not a surprise, but trading away Chris Paul for Bradley Beal was certainly a shock for Phoenix Suns fans. The biggest question early on is whether the new big three of Beal, Book, and Durant can develop chemistry. Beal will have to adjust to being the third scoring option behind Booker and Durant. Beal has been the second option for the Wizards in the past, but it has been seven seasons since he was not the team's sole leading scorer. Going from a guy who averaged 30 PPG three years ago to not even being a go-to scorer will be quite the adjustment. Beal is far more of a scorer than Chris Paul, who functioned more as a play-maker who opened up the offense for Booker and KD.
With Beal out opening night with a back injury, this allows Phoenix to ease into playing with this new lineup. Nurkic will get more touches down low and the Suns can see his distribution skills, while there will be less competition for touches all around. Beal will eventually find his role in this offense, but things will go more smoothly with him off the floor rather than on it early in the season.
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