Which suns are we most curious about as we begin 2024-25?

The Phoenix Suns are struggling to stand out this season. Chances are they'll be pretty good. Just maybe they will compete.

An off-season move by the roster around the Big 3 has left them with an improved group on paper, with questions still remaining.

In the first Season Preview Roundtable, we asked our participants to set the bar for the 2024-25 Phoenix season.

Now we asked them to highlight an interesting point: What storyline (or player) are they most curious about as the Suns begin this season?

Who or what are you most curious about as the Phoenix Suns begin the 2024-25 season?

Dave Burns, co-host of Burns & Gambo: Seventy-two hours ago I would have said Jusuf Nurkic or maybe even Ryan Dunn, but our colleague Kellan Olson convinced me otherwise: It's Bradley Beal. His role must expand, bend and contract depending on the night and the situation. He'll have to defend with a ferocity he hasn't quite embraced in his career.

He needs to admit he's not one or both and be the best supporting actor he can. Is he overqualified to stand in the corner and shoot 3s? Absolutely, but that’s life with the Phoenix Suns.

Kellan Olson, co-host of the Empire of the Sun Podcast and Arizona sports at night: Is anything happening to balance this roster? This could be Beal thriving as the third banana. This could be Ryan Dunn emerging as the starter at the All-Star break. This could be the perfect trade that falls into the Suns' lap. As it stands now, it's just a little off.

If Beal becomes an all-around third star, he would greatly expand the small areas where Phoenix needs to fill the gaps, while also giving the Suns a guy who can dominate portions of a game so that everything doesn't rely on Devin Booker and Kevin Durant . Dunn can become the wing the Suns don't have in an NBA when 3-and-D wings with size are absolutely crucial to serious success. Trading for one of Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, or Josh Okogie to find that type of wing is certainly on the table by midseason, but having that wing become available is another matter entirely.

Kevin Zimmerman, co-host of the Empire of the Sun Podcast and Editor-in-Chief of ArizonaSports.com: To be very specific: Can the Suns find their death lineup? That means they've found an identity and a clear group to finish games, even if it means displacing a player who used to play a larger role.

The league is becoming increasingly strange as a team's point guard on one side could be a center on the other. It won't be that crazy for Phoenix, but is there a “center” who can theoretically complement the Big 3 and point guard Tyus Jones as an interchangeable defender and floor spacer? Dunn enters the season as a top candidate if he actually maintains a passable shooting level.

To be more specific: What does this mean for Allen and Nurkic? Can they make an impact with reduced roles if someone steps up? What if, as many participants in this panel have pointed out, Beal doesn't resonate?

This will be an intriguing development – or lack thereof – to determine the Suns' ceiling.

John Gambadoro, co-host of Burns & Gambo: How they handle the long grind of an 82-game season when they are small and lack traditional wingers. The Suns have many strengths, but there are also some weaknesses, and defensively they could be challenged with those issues.

Vince Marotta, co-host of Bickley & Marotta: For me it's Beal. He was good in his first year in Phoenix, but he clearly needs to get better for the Suns to achieve their ultimate goals. I'm also curious to see how Beal performs in a three-man lineup and what happens if Dunn tries to get into the starting lineup to improve size, athleticism and defense.

Could Beal be the first man off the bench? Would it be accessible? Can you do that with a player making $50 million? With all of these questions, it's easy to see why I think Beal is absolutely crucial to the Suns' success.

Luke Lapinski, co-host of Wolf and Luke: Honestly, there are many. Drafting a rookie with crazy defensive upside, adding some true point guards, and committing to making a lot more threes as a team are on the honorable mention list. But my answer will actually be Booker's development in year 10.

He still has plenty of time to win a championship (or multiple championships), but there are no guarantees in this league. And if you take a step back, this might be the best squad he's been on yet. It's definitely up there. Now, how does the guy who will one day go down in history as the greatest Sun ever take his team to the next level? What did this Olympic experience evoke in him? And what does his version of growth as a leader look like?

The last question was addressed by Booker himself last week. And if we've learned anything over the last decade, it's that when Devin Booker says he's going to improve, he usually improves.

Alex Weiner, editor of ArizonaSports.com: Dunn will likely be a popular answer to this question, considering the Suns haven't drafted and developed a really good young player in a few years, and Dunn becoming a permanent fixture would be a significant development for them Banking unit this year and beyond.

Another storyline is how many 3-pointers the Suns will need to spread the floor this year. Phoenix made the 24th most three-point shots last year and had the fifth-highest shooting percentage from distance. The Bucks finished in the top five in three games in four of the five years Budenholzer spent there.

Mitch Vareldzis, co-host of Arizona sports at night: How will the league's second-most expensive team react if they fail to bring Phoenix a Larry O'Brien Trophy? There have been reports of a Durant extension that could be offered next offseason. However, if you continue to spend money and are not getting the results you want, you may need to think about adjusting your strategy.

Owner Mat Ishbia said so Burns & Gambo from Arizona Sports that life in the second apron is not an eternal thing. At some point the penalties will add up, and even the ultra-competitive Ishbia will likely accept its fiscal responsibility at some point.

So for me it's about what decision is made when the product on the field doesn't provide a return on investment. I'm not saying, “They'll blow it if they fail,” but don't be surprised if the focus is on adding to the roster through the draft or other means.

The West is still the tougher conference, so a lot has to go right for Phoenix as it's currently set up.

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