Phoenix Suns: Next steps to remain contender include fix roster, build offense around Booker, Durant
Denver may just be getting started.
The Nuggets have a two-time MVP looking like the best player on earth in the playoffs, a guard who has been balling, a coach who has pushed the right buttons – and they’re at the doorstep of making history.
Denver took a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals after Friday’s 108-95 win in Miami. The No. 1 seed in the West can capture its first NBA championship with a win Monday in Denver.
The average age of the Nuggets’ starting five is 27 with Nikola Jokic being 28, Jamal Murray 26 and Michael Porter Jr. being the youngest at 24. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the oldest at age 30.
Denver’s third-best player – Aaron Gordon – scored a game-high 27 points in Game 4 and their sixth man, Bruce Brown, scored 11 of its 21 in the fourth quarter as Jokic was plagued with foul trouble.
The Nuggets are essentially rolling with eight players, with one being a rookie in Christian Braun and another veteran Jeff Green. They don’t need to change a thing, but adding, say, a shooter or an athletic wing defender or even a backup point guard to strengthen their roster will make them even better. Whether they tweak or stay pat, the Nuggets aren’t going anywhere.
Phoenix will have to go through them in this two to three-year window to win a title.
Kevin Durant turns 35 in September. Devin Booker is entering his prime with the supermax contract incoming.
The only way Phoenix extends the window is if Deandre Ayton finally plays to his full potential or the Suns bring in a talent who’ll be ready to share that superstar stage with Booker when Durant’s career ends.
The Suns remained the only team to top Denver twice this postseason prior to Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Phoenix won Game 3 and 4 in the West semifinals to even the series. They dropped Game 5 in Denver and surrendered 81 points in the first half of a 25-point elimination flop in Game 6 at home.
They’ve since fired Monty Williams and hired Frank Vogel as head coach, but more work needs to be done to stay in championship contention – and Denver won’t be their only obstacle.
The Clippers will challenge – if Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy. The Lakers still have LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Kings are coming with a young, exciting team that’ll be even better when they defend like Mike Brown wants.
The Warriors can’t be counted out as long as Stephen Curry is out there. And don’t sleep on the Thunder and Timberwolves, two teams with young stars.
Not forgetting the Grizzlies, but their future is in the hands of NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s decision on Ja Morant after the second gun incident captured on video. Not snoozing on the Pelicans, but Zion Williamson has played a total of 114 games in three seasons and missed another full season with a foot injury. They can’t contend with him watching from the bench.
And the Mavericks, my goodness. What a strange situation that’s strangely enough fixable.
Still, the Suns are probably the greatest threat to Denver in the West. Here are the steps the Suns must take to put themselves in the position to push through the Nuggets and the rest of the conference.
Fix roster
This is make or break for James Jones. New team owner Mat Ishbia could’ve easily let him go too, but Jones has drawn the assignment of fixing this roster as president of basketball operations and general manager.
Having Durant out 10 games with that ankle twist during pregame warmups before what would’ve been his home debut after joining the team right before the Feb. 9 trade deadline hurt the Suns. Phoenix never found real chemistry and that caught up with them against Denver – but they didn’t trade away Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and their draft future for Durant just to lose in the second round.
Jones must construct a roster that complements Booker and Durant, with guys who can make teams cringe for doubling those two stars by knocking down a 3 or making a play.
That’ll also likely require moving forward without Chris Paul or Deandre Ayton. It's doubtful both will be back for the 2023-24 season.
Anything is possible, but the Suns are exploring options on what to do regarding Paul with waiving him being one before June 28 when the third year of his contract becomes fully guaranteed.
More: Frank Vogel ' very interested' in coaching Chris Paul as Phoenix Suns may waive veteran point guard
If Paul continues his Hall of Famer career elsewhere, his replacement must ideally be able to push the pace so Booker and Durant can find easier shots, create for himself, teammates and be a tone setter.
Jones understands the new collective bargaining agreement and the restrictions that come along with that luxury tax. Got to make it work.
He deserves significant credit for Phoenix’s resurgence, but Jones must now prove his worth to the new owner. That starts with improving the roster.
Develop Ayton
If he’s a part of their future, the Suns must do all they can to make him a more complete player.
He can’t just go to that right-handed jump hook. Drop step. Face up and drive.
Can’t settle for the jump shot. Draw fouls. Force double, make a play.
Can’t kick it out for 3s more than trying to put it back up inside. Can’t have three great games followed by three “what the hell” efforts.
Can’t allow Jokic to dominate him like that ever again. The Suns don’t stand a chance against Denver if Ayton can’t hold his own. That requires forcing Jokic to take tougher shots. Not tough shots. Jokic hits those. Tougher ones.
Vogel’s defensive system will help Ayton out, but he needs to be better. Averaging 16 and 10 is nice, but not good enough for someone of his talent and on a max contract.
Full training camp with Durant and Booker
The two have hung out in Monaco. Nice.
They’ll work out together and continue developing chemistry.
When camp begins, Booker and Durant must figure out multiple ways to make it happen against whatever defense they face.
It’s not all on them.
Kevin Young is now the highest-paid assistant in the league, getting more than two million a year to stay on the staff. He’s the Brent Venables of the NBA.
So Young must come up with an offense that’s much more than Booker with the ball and Durant standing in the corner. Having players who stretch the floor will help, but the more Booker and Durant can play off each other to force the defense to react, the more challenging the Suns will be to defend.
Having everyone involved in the offense is one thing. Great for team moral, but being ready to hit a 3, make the right cut for a layup or attack the offensive glass to take advantage of the attention Booker and Durant draw is more important.
Defend better, rebound
The Suns not only finished 13th out of 16 playoff teams in defensive rating this postseason, but that showed just how valuable Bridges, Johnson and Crowder were defensively.
Vogel is known for his defense. Three of his teams finished first in defensive rating and two more ranked third – but does Vogel have the players to defend at that level in Phoenix?
Got to get Ayton to really understand what needs to be done. Be a better help defender. Got to have the necessary and correct ball pressure to disrupt opponents. Effort isn’t enough.
They need a two-way player who can score as well as defend. Doesn’t need to average 20, but a big athletic wing who can force tough shots, guard multiple players and lead the defensive charge.
A great defensive possession ends with the rebound. Without that, it becomes a wasted defensive possession that turns into a deflating one when the opponent hits an open 3.
The Suns can't have just one guy rebounding. Having tenacity and desire goes a long way when it comes to rebounding regardless of who is playing. The Suns must make that a greater priority moving forward.
‘Scrappy team’
Vogel made it clear in his introductory press conference Tuesday that’s how the Suns will play under him.
Sounded good, especially after seeing the Suns just wilt in elimination games, but this is what Vogel should also want.
A team that’s going to set a defensive tone that makes the opponent uncomfortable.
A team that’s not complaining every time a call doesn’t go their way.
A team that should be embarrassed losing elimination games the last two years by a total of 58 points.
A team that knows it should have a championship.
They should already have raised a banner, but the Suns blew a 2-0 lead to the Bucks in 2021 finals.
They had the best record in the league the next season, set a franchise record for wins – but lost to Dallas in a Game 7 they trailed by as many as 46 points.
If Booker is that guy, like that guy, then checkmate. If Durant is still that guy, like that guy, time to remind the league who he is.
If they keep Ayton, it’s time for him to have that breakthrough year.
If Vogel was the best option for the Suns, he must coach like it.
And if Jones does his job, Phoenix will have all it needs to be playing at this time next year.
If not, Denver will be looking to repeat as NBA champions.
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns: Next steps to remain contender include building offense around Devin Booker, Kevin Durant
