The Phoenix Suns schedule is here, so it’s time to talk about real basketball and theoretical happenings on the court!
To cover some of the team’s main themes heading into the season, here are five matchups designed to highlight those themes.
Which Suns games we are most looking forward to in the 2024-25 schedule
Minnesota Timberwolves — @ Nov. 17 vs. Jan. 29 vs. Mar. 2 @ Mar. 29
There are more storylines here than any other Western Conference opponent. It’s a rematch of last year’s first-round win, a team Phoenix handled very well during the regular season. There’s always a bit of grit and the Suns will want to get their win back. Then there’s the relationship between Anthony Edwards and his idol Kevin Durant, fresh off the Olympic stage. Devin Booker flourished when he was a starting position ahead of Edwards in Team USA’s pecking order.
There are also the stylistic elements on the court itself. These will be even more pronounced than last year, especially in terms of size. With a skilled point guard with Tyus Jones/Mike Conley covering, that leaves Bradley Beal or Booker to defend the 6-foot-1 Jaden McDaniels, and the other has to take over for Edwards.
Mike Budenholzer will certainly make the Suns shoot more threes and probably with a decent amount of speed as well. Minnesota is an opponent that Phoenix should be able to do more against with those two factors, considering Karl-Anthony Towns will have to defend Kevin Durant or one of the other two guards, and the Suns letting Minnesota get away with that in the first round is exactly what can’t happen this time.
New York Knicks – around November 20, April 6
As for the size issues, the Knicks might be the biggest challenge of all (sorry). Beal and Booker are mirrored by 6-foot-1 Mikal Bridges and 6-foot-1 OG Anunoby. In the frontcourt is 250-pound bruiser Julius Randle. How much of that concern is overblown and how much of it is actually a major disadvantage for the Suns that will lose them games is being tested to the limit by teams like New York. There’s really no choice but to hide the 6-foot-1 Jones at one of those three, so now he has to cover All-NBA Second Team guard Jalen Brunson.
New York is also a big challenge for the Suns’ depth, which will be significantly improved. It brings Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and Miles McBride off the bench, three difference-maker players, balancing the Suns with Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale. The Knicks will also use either former Suns fan favorite Cam Payne or former Suns draft fan favorite Tyler Kolek as the backup 1, where we may or may not see Phoenix’s other point guard Monte Morris sign. Speaking of reserves, and with the Knicks’ athletes on the wings, a strong lineup with Bol Bol and Ryan Dunn would help matters if both prove reliable.
Most importantly, the Knicks achieve the level of physicality and grit that Tom Thibodeau wants, traits that, combined with size and length, should punish Phoenix’s roster composition. If the Suns can keep up, they can maximize their advantages elsewhere, as they have an edge in talent with the ball. Last year, Phoenix did well at Madison Square Garden, when Booker scored the game-winner, before suffering a Buck 39 two weeks later at the Footprint Center, a beating that included a 50-burger to Brunson.
Sacramento Kings —- against November 10, @ November 13, against March 14, @ April 13
Consider this final trio a litmus test for the play-in line. The Suns do it pretty easily on paper. But that’s before you factor in how last year went and all the concerns that came from it. Expect Budenholzer to sort that out and get this team going in the regular season, thus avoiding a top-six fate. So with that in mind, these are three teams that have enough intrigue to get over this mess and face a team like Phoenix trying to hold onto a spot in the 4-6 range.
Sacramento is in a similar position to Phoenix when it comes to analyzing their roster and imagining they can build a truly great team, but only if they can use it properly. The Kings, like the Suns, are also small, using Keegan Murray as the 4 and relying heavily on a guard rotation of De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, Kevin Huerter, Keon Ellis and Devin Carter. In all likelihood, this will be the most entertaining opponent over the course of the regular season. Athletics contests for two of the best offensive teams in the league follow.
Memphis Grizzlies – vs. Dec. 31, vs. Feb. 11, @ Feb. 25, @ Mar. 10
Consider this more of a little check-in to see if Memphis has indeed bounced back and recovered from a 27-win season to return to the form of a group that won 107 games the two years before that. If so, the top six will be tighter.
No team has an individual answer to defending Ja Morant. But he is an example of a hyper-explosive ball-handler that the Suns are trying to scheme against. Even at their best, Beal and Booker have little chance of keeping him up front. The Grizzlies will likely start Zach Edey (a non-shooter) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (a 33% 3-point shooter since 2020-21) together, allowing teams like Phoenix to help and recover from there. Budenholzer is an underrated defensive coach and it will be interesting to see how he plans with Morant.
On the other hand, Edey will be a pick-and-roll target from the start, and Phoenix can exploit him with four different, very good ball-handling options. With Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart likely taking over Booker and Beal’s matchups, all that’s left for Jackson to do is to fully utilize his perimeter skills against Durant. Even a team like Memphis with two former Defensive Player of the Year winners still gets to the point where they have matchup problems against the Suns, and they’ll have to do a much better job of exploiting that this year.
San Antonio Spurs – against December 3, February 20, against April 11
If you don’t remember the first experience with Victor Wembanyama, that’s understandable, because the World Series was happening across the street. To recap: Wembanyama showed clear flashes of the long-term potential that everyone had been hyping up. It was his first real showcase moment in the NBA.
Wembanyama alone makes San Antonio worthy of mention on this list. If you didn’t see him live last year, don’t make that mistake again. It’s indescribable. Plus, you have to consider the Chris Paul effect on a team coached by. Gregg Popovich. Sorry if I just made you cringe. This team is going to be good, and like Memphis, it would be nice to get a glimpse of how good it could be. Will the Spurs perk up or perform like a legitimate playoff team? Don’t rule out the latter.
Watching Paul and Booker compete is also worth the price of admission. This was their first time since the trade. Paul knew Booker’s shoulder tilt was coming in the transition, pulled the chair towards him and made fun of him afterward.
I knew the shoulder was coming! pic.twitter.com/DiKWeMLrQu
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) October 25, 2023
He’s the best. Hang up that guy’s number.
And finally, San Antonio is not a strong team. You have to be lucky if you get seven or eight reliable rotation players. The Suns will have to juggle to get enough playing time for every player in the backcourt, but they have a great top seven and a few others who have a real chance to make an impact this season. That’s a key factor in the regular season that lets Phoenix win a whole lot of games if it can find some consistency against less talented opponents. The Suns went 1-3 against the 22-60 Spurs last year.
And a fun side note: The February 20 game is actually at the Moody Center, home of Durant’s Texas Longhorns.
