There were 69 players in the NBA this past season who had at least 3,000 offensive possessions and recorded assists on 20 percent of their individual possessions, according to NBA.com. The Phoenix Suns are the only team to not have any of those players.

The Suns do not have a true point guard, but they might not need one. Phoenix traded away veteran Chris Paul for three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, who averages 22.1 points per game in his career. Beal (27.0), Suns forward Kevin Durant (27.8) and guard Devin Booker (26.6) are ranked ninth, sixth and 10th in points per game among 285 players who have played at least 200 games over the last five years, according to NBA.com.

The Suns could have one of the most skilled offenses in NBA history with three three-level scorers. Booker and Durant are two players who use the mid-range shot in their arsenal. Beal uses an assortment of stepbacks, 3-pointers off the bounce and dribble penetration to score.

Phoenix coach Frank Vogel said his team will have a “multiple ball-handler attack.” The Suns also traded away backup guard Cameron Payne, so guard Jordan Goodwin — who they acquired along with Beal in their trade with the Wizards — will play behind either Beal or Booker.

A story from NBA.com's John Schuhmann highlights the Suns' potential on offense this year, which could use an assortment of screens with Beal and Booker, post-ups for Durant, one-on-one matchups for each of those players and mid-range chances. ESPN reporter Zach Lowe also broke down sets the Suns could use on offense in 2023-24.

Phoenix has the opportunity to exploit its scorers, who have each averaged at least 27.8 points per game in one season in their respective careers, and create a range of matchup advantages. Durant is the Suns' best scorer and likely will lead the team in points per game. Booker is perhaps the Suns' best player, however, and might be relied on most in late-game situations.

With Booker and Durant together, the Suns had two of the best scorers late in the 2022-23 season. However, Phoenix lacked a consistent bench unit and played Durant and Booker the most and second-most minutes in the playoffs.

Booker largely had heroic efforts but he was grounded in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets, when he suffered a foot/ankle injury. Durant struggled in the series and shot 6-of-27 (22 percent) from 3-point range. Phoenix clearly did not have enough time to find a flow in its offense with such little time with Durant before the playoffs.

Phoenix is expected to start Beal, who played fewer than 10 percent of his minutes this past season at point guard, at the position at the start of training camp, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. According to NBA stats, Beal had his first- and second-highest assist ratio of his career in 2021-22 (21.1 percent) and 2022-23 (19.6 percent), which shows some capability to run the Suns' offense.

With three stars, the Suns have the potential to create matchup advantages. Schuhmann's story says Booker and Beal had 36.8 and 36.2 ball-screens, respectively, set for them per 100 possessions in 2022-23 (Second Spectrum). Phoenix is yet to say if it will run an offense that is architected by returning associate head coach Kevin Young or if coach Frank Vogel and a collection of assistants will divvy up an offensive plan.

Indications from these stories say the Suns could use an assortment of ball-screen actions involving their stars to free scoring opportunities. Lowe pointed out how Beal was used more as a screener than any point in his career this past season. Although it was fewer than 10 screens per 100 possessions, the Suns could use guard-on-guard actions to create mismatches for Beal and Booker.

Lowe said Beal's screening with the Wizards in 2022-23 provided chaos for opposing defenses. The Golden State Warriors are one of the NBA's best teams at exploiting matchups. Forward Draymond Green excels as a short-roller who can attract attention of help-side defenders and score at the rim or kick out for open 3-pointers.

Lowe shows a few offensive sets in which Beal is used as a screener to either pop to the 3-point line, run into another set of screens for a shot off a pindown and do damage when a bigger player is switched on to him.

Phoenix has the benefit of having the best isolation scorer in basketball, Durant. He became the first player in NBA history to shoot 55 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line in 2022-23. Durant has a full season next to Beal and Booker in 2023-24 after he played just eight regular-season games with the Suns before their playoff run.

Schuhmann's story points out Durant has shot 112-of-193 on post-ups over the last three seasons, according to Second Spectrum. Booker and Beal are not as willing to go to the post, so this is a tie-in to some one-on-one scoring options that could work for Phoenix.

Beal and Booker are very good isolation scorers and can take advantage of bigs switched on to them or less capable guards.

The Suns have questions to answer about their offense in 2023-24. Phoenix can have a defensive-minded coach and be a top offense if it maximizes its potential. The Suns need to do both and find an identity — and answers to their perceived point-guard issue — to win a championship.